Curtea de Argeș Monastery
| Curtea de Argeș Monastery | |
|---|---|
| Mănăstirea Curtea de Argeș | |
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Curtea de Argeș, Argeș County, Romania |
| Geographic coordinates | 45°9′25″N 24°40′31″E / 45.15694°N 24.67528°ECoordinates: 45°9′25″N 24°40′31″E / 45.15694°N 24.67528°E |
| Affiliation | Eastern Orthodox |
| Region | Wallachia |
| Year consecrated | 1886 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Monastery |
| Status | Active |
| Patron | Dormition of the Mother of God(15 August) |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | André Lecomte du Noüy Nicolae Gabrielescu |
| Founder | Neagoe Basarab |
| Groundbreaking | 1512 |
| Completed | 1517 (original) 1885 (restoration) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 18 m |
| Width | 10 m |
| Height (max) | 25 m |
The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș (early 16th century) is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. It is located on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, and is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The building is the seat of the Archdiocese of Argeș and Muscel.
The cathedral is faced with pale grey limestone, which was easily chiselled then hardened on exposure. The interior is of brick, plastered and decorated with frescoes. Nearby on the grounds stands a large Moorish style royal palace.
The building resembles a very large and elaborate mausoleum, and was built in the Byzantine style, with Moorish arabesques. The cathedral is upon a raised platform, 7 ft (2.1 m) above the surrounding grade, and encircled by a stone balustrade. In shape the structure is oblong, with a many-sided annex at the back. A dome rises in the center, fronted by two smaller twisting and leaning cupolas, while a secondary dome, broader and loftier than the central one, springs from the annex. Each summit is crowned by an inverted pear-shaped stone, bearing a triple cross, emblematic of the Trinity.
The windows are mere slits; those of the tambours (the cylinders on which the cupolas rest) are curved and slant at an angle of 70 degrees, as though the tambours were leaning to one side.
Between the pediment and the cornice a thick corded moulding is carried round the main building. Above this comes a row of circular shields, adorned with intricate arabesques, while bands and wreaths of lilies are everywhere sculptured on the windows, balconies, tambours and cornices, adding lightness to the fabric.
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Wikipedia