1993/ Ref: 598bis

Criterion

Criterion (i) The external paintings of the churches of Northern Moldavia cover all the facades. They embody a unique and homogeneous artistic phenomenon, directly inspired by Byzantine art. They are masterpieces of mural painting, and are of outstanding aesthetic value in view of their consummate chromatism and the remarkable elegance of the figures. They present cycles of events taken from the Bible and the Holy Scriptures, in the Orthodox Christian tradition. 

Criterion (iv) The idea of completely covering the external facades of churches by paintings is an eminent example of a type of church construction and decoration adopted in Moldavia, which illustrates the cultural and religious context of the Balkans from the late 15th century to the late 16th century.

Churches of Moldavia

The churches with exterior mural paintings of northern Moldavia, built from the late 15th century to the late 16th century, are masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art. These eight churches — Church of the Holy Rood of Patrăuţi (1487), Church of St George of the Monastery of Voroneţ (1488, 1547), Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist of Arbore (1503), Church of St George of St John the New Monastery of Suceava (1514–1522), Church of the Assumption of the Virgin of the Monastery of Humor (1530), Church of St Nicholas of the Monastery of Probota (1530), Church of the Annunciation of the Monastery of Moldoviţa (1532) (all inscribed on the List in 1993) and Church of the Resurrection of the Monastery of Suceviţa (1584–1601), added to the List as an extension in 2010 — are unique, authentic and particularly well preserved.

Far from being mere wall decorations, the paintings form a systematic covering on all the facades and the entire interior walls and represent complete cycles of religious themes. Their exceptional composition, the elegance of the characters, and the harmony of the colours, together with their architecture, blend perfectly with their monastic ensembles and the surrounding countryside and natural landscape.

This coherent group of churches illustrates the “Moldavian Style”, which represents an original synthesis of architecture and art, characterized by Byzantine plans raised with Gothic influences, dating and crystallized during the period of the glorious reign of Stephen the Great (1457–1504) — the great defender of Christianity and his direct descendants: Bogdan the 3rd (1504–1517), Stephen the Young (1517–1527) and Petru Rareș (1527–1538, 1541–1546). It was a period of constant church building efforts, made by princes, boyars and church hierarchs, which would last until the 17th century. This style would come together in architecture but also in the main iconographic programme for interior and external mural paintings. The aesthetic and spiritual programme will contain the complete covering of all the facades of these churches with outstanding cycles of religious themes, during the 16th century.

These eight churches have undergone no significant alteration in the course of history. They preserve their original late 15th century to the late 16th century architecture and set of mural paintings. The monasteries and medieval precincts that surrounds them have conserved their historic enclosure. The picturesque surrounding countryside landscape, rural and forested, has undergone only few transformations and changes up to the present day.