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The old church of Curtea de Arges Monastery is one of the most beautiful and most representative religious monuments from the medieval period in Wallachia. It was built between 1515-1517 on the site of an older church, founded by the Holy Voivode Neagoe Basarab, lord of Wallachia in 1512-1521. The building, of astonishing beauty, was consecrated on August 17, 1517 (dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), at the event, in addition to many people, clergy and the Patriarch of Constantinople himself, as has never been seen before. The church is distinguished by special architectural elements (for example two "twisted" towers) but also by a rich decoration of Turkish and Caucasian influence. This, less known, is attributed to the youthful experience of the founder, Neagoe Basarab, who together with an Armenian (?) master builder named Manoli (a name related to the master Monole, the legendary church builder) raised a mosque in Constantinople at the command of Sultan Baiazid II. The church has a classical composition, consisting of an altar, nave and narthex. The nave has three equal apses, of which the eastern one houses the altar. Above the church rise 4 towers of which the main one is above the nave, and another three above the narthex. Next to the entrance to the church is an elegant ”agheazmatar” (Holy Water Chamber) also used as a summer altar. Over the centuries the church has suffered several damages and repairs, but at the request of King Carol I it underwent a complete renovation during the years 1975-1880 under the leadership of the French architect André Lecomte du Nouy. This renovation also brings with it the total replacement of the original painting, of the iconostasis, the transformation of the narthex into a royal necropolis, the demolition of an older chapel and of the fortified enclosure wall together with the bell tower at the entrance and the establishment of a park around the church. In the narthex are the tombstones of both rulers from the medieval period (first of all the founder, Neagoe Basarab, lord of Wallachia 1512-1521; Radu de la Afumați, lord in the period 1522-1529 and during which the original painting was made ), but also of the first two kings of Romania, together with their wives (Carol I, king between 1866-1914 and his wife, Elisabeta 1843-1916; Ferdinand I, 1865-1927 and his wife, Maria, 1875-1938). Nowadays, the role of royal necropolis was taken over by the new cathedral built in the vicinity and which also contains the tomb of King Mihai I of Romania (1921-2017).
Two important legends (in multiple variants) being part of the Romanian ethos are associated with this ancient and wonderful church. In short, the first legend refers to the living building of Ana, the wife of the craftsman Manole (the legendary head of the construction team), a sacrifice necessary for the church to be completed (everything built during the day, collapsed at night by itself) . The place where Ana was built alive is marked on the outer wall of the church. The second legend refers to the voivode of the country who, at the end of the construction, wishing that the craftsmen would not be able to build another and more beautiful church, ordered the restraint of the craftsmen on the roof by demolishing the scaffolding. To save themselves, the craftsmen threw themselves from the church using makeshift wooden wings. They all died, and in the place where Manole fell, a spring appeared, an important place to visit.
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