Cetăţuia Monastery

 

Today, about the Cetatuia monastery, with information gathered by Florentina :)

We remind you of a place full of history and a place of Christian spirituality: Cetăţuia Monastery. It is located on one of the seven hills of the city, from where it dominates the landscape with its slender silhouette, being guarded by an imposing tower and surrounded by a stone wall. Founded by Gheorghe Duca, the Cetăţuia Monastery was built between 1669 and 1672 as a fortified complex capable of offering the ruler and his suite refuge and resistance in possible armed conflicts. From an architectural point of view, the Cetățuia borrows from the arhitecture of the monastery of the Holy Three Hierarchs, impressing with its simplicity, being one of the best preserved monuments of Romanian medieval art.

In the northern part of the monastery complex there is a building intended to house the ruler and his family, called "palace" or "Royal House" which now houses a monastic museum. Secret exits from the building were discovered, leading to the outside of the monastery. A beautiful view of Iasi can be admired from the "Pilgrim's Dinner" tower, located in the abbey building.

To the right of the main entrance, there is a stone staircase that leads to a square room called the lady's room, located halfway between the ground floor and the first floor. Under this lady's room there was a second room, which only the family knew, being the hiding place for ladies in case of danger. In case of an attack on the palace, the lord and his entourage could find their escape in secret.

Another old building in the courtyard of the Cetăţuia Monastery is the princely kitchen. Some authors have claimed that this construction was in fact a Turkish bath, the only one preserved in a monastic ensemble. On the southern side is the Gothic Hall "Anastasia Doamna", which in the past hosted the secret meetings of the ruler, and now has the role of refectory.

In October 1911, the University Jubilee was celebrated in Iași in the presence of King Carol I and on this occasion the foundation of the new monastery cells was laid at the initiative and perseverance of Nicolae Iorga and the Metropolitan of Moldavia - Pimen Georgescu. On this occasion, the famous aviator Aurel Vlaicu flew on the device invented by him, leaving the “Vasile Lupu” Normal School over Iași, making several turns around the Cetățuia hill, in the admiration of the crowds. This was the first aviation demonstration in Iasi.