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Stelea Monastery is considered as a significant presence in the precious cultural-historical
treasure, whose importance exceeds the limits of the old capital of Walachia. What we call today the architectural complex of Stelea Monastery represents an area of big importance
in the urban evolution of the middle Ages town, with constructions raised across
several centuries, the last one, from a chronological point of view, being the
one founded by Vasile Lupu Voivode.
On Calea Domneasca, about 150 m South-East of the Prince's court and 200 m North of the Metropolitan See,
it justifies its name of "architectural complex" through its very components:
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A church dating from the 16th century and another one from the
15th century, both with bell tower, and placed in the Southern area
of the monastery;
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Traces of constructions dating from the end of the 15thcentury;
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The monastery built during the second half of the 16th century
by merchant Stelea, mentioned in 1582 in a document by which Mihnea Turcitul was
confirming a donation made to the monastery, by documents dating from 1614,
1617, 1623;
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The monastery with the church dating from the 17th century,
built by Vasile Lupu, Prince of Moldavia.
Therefore, towards the end of the 17th century, the prince of Moldavia built again, between 1636
and 1637 and between 1644 and 1645, the church kept until now, and a new prior's
house, cells and surrounding walls. Reading the inscription adorned with the
heraldic wild bull of Moldavia, placed over the entrance in the narthex of the
church, we learn the following: "It is with the will of the Father, with the
help of the Son and with the work of the Holy Spirit, that here I am, the
servant of God, Vasile Voivode and Prince of Moldavia. This dedication of the
place of worship to the holy feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our
Lord, was done before by merchant Stelea, the place also housing the grave of my
late father, Nicolae Vel Aga. And now, when God gave me the reign of Moldavia, I
had the first church demolished to the ground and started to build it again, in
the time of our brother Voivode Matei Basarab, by the will of God, Prince of
Walachia; and this was done on 7 September year 7154."
Instead of the old small church, whose founder is mentioned in the instruction as merchant Stelea, Vasile
Lupu Voivode built another church, a monumental one, designed to confirm the
conciliation of the two princes. The Moldavian prince focused his attention on
the church founded by merchant Stelea because of his filial feelings, as his
father, Vel-Aga Nicolae was buried here, as the inscription reads.
Eight years later, in November 1653, the church founded by the prince of Moldavia was to accommodate
Macarie, Patriarch of Antioch, received with great pomp at Targoviste. His
companion, Paul of Alep, compares Targoviste, in his notes, from the point of
view of its size, with Alep or Damascus. At for the many churches and
monasteries of the town, he considers that the one founded by Vasile Voda is the
most beautiful: "It has the name of the Resurrection of the Lord, but the
inhabitants of the country call it Stelea Monastery. It is big and surrounded by
stonewalls. The church is huge and high, with two elegant towers and several
crosses, for whose gilding people say seven hundred Venation thalers were paid.
The iconostasis, carved in Russian style, is wonderful, and has three doors."
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Paul of Alep, visiting Walachia again, was an eyewitness, in February, of the destructions made by the
Turkish and Tatar armies in Targoviste, which had defeated Prince Constantin
Serban in his attempt to oppose his dethronement. Speaking about Stelea
Monastery, Paul of Alep says: "… Stelea Monastery resisted a strong siege,
having been occupied by a group of Cossacks and their women, who fought against
the Turks and Tatars… The church, full of chests and food supplies for the
people, was burned down; it burned both inside outside and, unfortunately the
beautiful iconostasis too."
The documents for the next period reflect the gradual impoverishment of the monastery, which was turned
into a methokion of Saint George the New church in Bucharest, founded by
Constantin Brancoveanu, and dedicated, in turn, to the Holy Sepulcher in
Jerusalem.
The church was repaired during the reign of Constantin Brancoveanu: the floor covered with stone tiles,
the steeple restored, the church painted and equipped with proper furniture.
Towards the end of 1715, Radu Dudescu wrote, among other things, to Hrisant
Notaras, Patriarch of Jerusalem: "…as you should know about the restoration of
Stelea church, and take care that nothing is missing…”
Towards the end of the 18th century, the monastery became rather derelict. Badly needed repairs were done
with some boyars' donations. In 1780, Chancellor Carstica Voiescu was asked by
Jerusalem to accept the position of trustee of Stelea church in order to restore
it. Small donations are still received from certain inhabitants, in exchange for
the right to be buried in the church or mentioned in its memorial list.
There are documents mentioning a Greek school that used to function in the cells of Stelea Monastery
towards the end of the 18th century, which lasted until 1840,
attended, among others, by Grigore Alexandrescu, I. H. Radulescu and Vasile
Carlova.
In 1832, while visiting Stelea Monastery, General Pavel Kiseleff, remarked upon the poverty of the
church.
In the 19th century, Stelea had become a parish church; its buildings, more and more
dilapidated, were used for various other purposes.
After the secularization of the monasteries' properties in 1863, Stelea church became a parish church,
having been maintained by the state. The roof of the church was repaired from
1865 till 1876, as well as some of its cells. In 1879 the dome on the nave was
repaired.
In 1881, a commission, which had visited several monuments in the country, ascertained the derelict
aspect of the buildings at Stelea and initiated a "general restoration".
Between 1943 and 1947 the base was repaired and the painting was partially restored by painter I. Mihail.
As for the objects of rite in the church, the pews, two Brancoveanian chairs with the coat of arms of
Walachia (both of them in the collection of the National Museum of Art of
Romania), a silver gilded discus, given by Mrs. Stanca in 1599-1600 and a silver
filigree gilded cup given by Vasile Lupu can still be seen today. From the epoch
of Vasile Lupu dates also a stone font that can be admired in the pronaos of the
church. A silver gilded bowl with the coat of arms of Moldavia given by Vasile
Lupu too, is kept today in the collection of the National Museum of Art. A
wooden triptych dating from 1763-1764 from Stelea Monastery is in collection of
the Patriarchate at present.
There are also many tombstones, the oldest of them dating from 1609, followed by some other ones
from 1647, 1689 and 1820.
Simple restoration works were done to the steeple tower and to the abbot's rooms in 1971-1975, 1982-1988,
1991-1999 and in 2002.
Summary from "Stelea Monastery", edited by Archdiocese of
Targoviste, 2003.
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