FROM:

http://www.romaniajournal.ro/voronet-monastery-the-sistine-chapel-of-the-east/

 

Also known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’ due to its splendid frescoes and especially to its unique color, blue Voronet, located 35 kilometers from Suceava and just 4 kilometers from Gura Humorului, is one of the most important monasteries founded by Stephan the Great.

Voronet drew attention in the first place with the famous blue Voronet considered by experts a unique shade, but over time the interior and exterior frescoes have attracted thousands of tourists.

The initial shape was kept, paying a tribute to Byzantine, Gothic and other autochthones elements. Voronet blue, as the name itself says, is a specific shade of blue color specific to Voronet’s exterior frescoes. These paintings are hiding ancient secrets that nobody has so far decoded. Very resistant to weather conditions and very close to natural colors, these shades are really a mystery even for historians who would like to know the secret recipe in order to restore the paintings as close to original as they can. The completion of these pigments led to some legends. According to a chronicle since Stefan cel Mare times, painters in this region received huge amounts of plum brandy (tuica de prune). Drinks were not for the delight of the workers but used to obtain color.

At the base of ‘Voronet blue’ stands the azurite, a blue stone found in China, Africa and France, therefore very expensive to get. Azurite was then finely ground and mixed with an unknown organic substance, which ensured a very long resistance for the exterior frescoes. The most impressive of all the frescoes is the scene of the Last Judgment, painted on its wide Western side, in a unique representation for the Eastern Christianity.  Its true originality lies in the combination of the Biblical characters with symbols of the local culture, including musical instruments, traditional costumes and nearby sceneries thus trying to make it more representative for the community of that time.

Voronet Monastery managed to take the Moldavian craftsmanship and skills to the highest level. Built in four months this masterpiece is served as an example of belief, power, art and originality.