The Bucovina Museum

The Princely Citadel of Suceava

Located on a hill in the eastern part of the city, the fortress was mentioned for the first time in 1388. It was built during Petru I Musat reign and was developed and strengthened by Alexandru the Kind and later by Stefan the Great (he doubled the exterior walls and widened the moats which surrounded the fortress). Although it was attacked three times during the reign of Stefan cel Mare (1476, 1485, 1497), the fortress couldn’t be conquered. In 1538 the fortress was conquered by Turkish army, and few years later, during Alexandru Lapusneanu second reign, it was set on fire while the capital was moved to Iasi. Prince Vasile Lupu tried to restore it in the 17th century but the fortress was destroyed at the order of Prince Dumitrascu Cantacuzino in 1675 and then by an earthquake.

Today there can be admired the massive external walls, parts of its fortified towers and the ruins of the interior constructions.

The History Museum of Suceava

History Museum displays a valuable collection of objects which enfolds especially the history of Bucovina but also the history of Suceava in general. The museum exhibits an art gallery with works of famous artists from Bucovina or from other parts of Romania. The hall of the throne represents an important attraction of the museum.

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Suceava

The Museum of Natural Sciences displays in a modern manner the natural potential of Bucovina. The most important are to be mentioned the stone flowers collection and the dioramas of the local animals.

The Princely Inn of Suceava

The Princely Inn is one of the oldest buildings of the city. It was built in the 17th century and during the Austrian occupation it was used as a hunting castle. Today it was converted into a museum which displays the main ethnographical regions of the Suceava County. The ground floor exhibition recomposes the atmosphere of an 18th century inn. It consist of a guest room, a kitchen, an inn hall, a room for sleeping, a larder and a cellar

The next floor represents important ethnographical pieces and folkloric art.

Address: 33 Stefan cel Mare Street
Link: The Museum of Bucovina

The Bucovina Village Museum

The Bucovina Village Museum boasts several buildings – houses, churches, which bring in the attention of the visitors the universe of the local traditional architecture.

The first houses were constructed starting with 1971 but the museum received many others only after the communist regime had collapsed. The outdoor museum looks like a traditional village from Bucovina. Beside buildings, the museum boasts exhibits connected to the daily life of the farmers such as traditional ovens, stoves, furniture, textiles, carpets or traditional costumes.

The museum is located right next to the Suceava Citadel.

The New Saint John Monastery

Stephen the Grate’s son, Bogdan the Blind started in 1514 the erection of the monastery. It was finished by Stefanita Voda in 1522. Between 1522 and 1593 the church played the role of the Metropolitanate of Moldavia; today it is the seat of the Archbishopric of Suceava and Radauti. The  imposing building follows, with some slight exceptions, the shape and the style of Stephen’s church from the Neamt Monastery.

Since the second half of the 17th century, the Saint John the New Monastery had been the residential place of the Moldavian Bishops, becoming not just a religious place but also a cultural one. The monastic place hosted not only monks or priests but also calligraphers, gifted xylographers, metal workers and teachers of Moldavian, Greek and Slavonic.

The church attracts the attention of the visitors mainly because of its roof. It had been covered in lead, but during the repairing works, between 1904 and 1910, the Austrian architect Romstorfer gave the roof the initial shape and used colored and enameled tiles. Also, enameled discs, used here for the first time in the history of the Moldavian architecture, surround the beautiful octagonal steeple supported by four buttresses and risen on two superposed stellar bases.

The outer painting, of which there are still traces, dates back to the period of Petru Rares (1534). They were cleaned during the 1904-1910 renovations. Some of them were just cleaned while others were modified. The church is surrounded by tow rows of niches, excepting the western facade where is just one. They still represent images of different archangels. Faded traces of the Jesse’s Tree fresco, flanked  antique philosophers on each side, can be seen even today on the south facade. On the same side, The Prayers and Hymns to the Holly Virgin enfolds in 24 scenes the story of the Holly Virgin.  The apses represent the Prayer of All Saints. The western facade is dedicated to the Last Judgment. Although it is note very well preserved, the Last Judgement fresco represents God right under the niches flanked by angels who open the gates of heaven. On each side of this scene one can see the zodiac signs. In the lower row one Jesus sits down on the throne while is protected by the angels and apostles. In the third row there three different groups. The faded part represents the righteous heading toward the heaven. The empty throne, symbolizing the second coming of Jesus was painted in the middle. Usually the throe is flanked by Adam and Eve but the fresco representing him faded away. Right next to the river of fire one can see Moses escorting the sinners. The lower part of the fresco is quite destroyed the scene of the resurrection being almost invisible.

The church is being the resting place for the relics of Saint John the New since 1589. Initially, the relics brought in 1402 by Prince Alexander the Good, had been stored in the Metropolitan Cathedral from the Fortress of Suceava, the place where the Mirauti Church is today. Saint John the New from Suceava was a great God lover and because he had refused to change his religion he was tortured and then beheaded by the Tartars. Each year, on 24th of June, an impressive number of pilgrims from all over the country come to Suceava to be caressed and to show their creed and how much they appreciate the help of the saint.

The Saint Demetrius Church

Located in the centre of Suceava, it is the foundation of Prince Petru Rares. It was built between 1534 and 1535 in Byzantine style on the site of two previous churches. The church shelters the graves of some famous dignitaries of Moldavia: the grave of Prince Bogdan, the son of Petru Rares and the grave of the chief magistrate of Hotin district, as well as some other funeral slabs. The belfry’s tower was built in 1561 by Prince Alexandru Lapusnenu and it is 45m high. The church of Saint Demetrius from Suceava consists of exonarthex, narthex, nave and altar.

Just above the entrance of the church one can see an interesting Renaissance carving representing two angels holding the coat of arms of the Moldavian state. It shows the head of an aurochs, the sun, the moon and a star. The model is quite interesting as it is a copy of the famous one from the Sistine Chapel.

The church had been painted on the outer walls but the harsh weather conditions destroyed the frescoes almost entirely. Just several Cherubs still exist in the upper niches that surround the church of Saint Demetrius. Different Archangels had been painted in the lower row of niches. Other frescoes, quite faded, are to be seen only on the southern facade. They represent the usual themes: The Tree of Jesse, The Akathistos Hymn of The Prayer of All Saints.

The Mirauti Church

It’s the oldest religious building of Suceava and was erected (most probably) during the reign of Prince Peter I Musat. The same church had hosted for a long time the seat of the Metropolitanate, the head of the independent Moldavian church since 1401. The church was rebuilt in the 17th century and again in the 19th century. The latest consolidation was made in the years 1996-2000. The actual aspect is very different from the original one and the church is fairly larger than its original aspect. In 1956, the fragments of the gravestone of the first wife of Stephen the Great were discovered there.

The Zamca Monastery

The Zamca church seems to be built in the 17th century. It is impressive because of its dimensions and Gothic or classical architectural  elements, but also because of its oriental adornments. For a period of time it was the Armenian’s bishop residence. The most important feature of the church was its impressive fortification that had surrounded the entire religious complex. The bell tower was added in 1606.

In 17th century the church was occupied by king of Poland, John III Sobieski. From this moment, the church was named Zamca (zamek means fortress in Polish). With this occasion the church was surrounded by a wall and protected by bastions.

In 2004 the church of the monastery was re-blessed. That marked the revival of the religious life although it doesn’t have anymore the role of a monastery.