AUTHOR: Costin CLIT
THREE MEMORIALS AND SOME DOCUMENTS OF SLATINA MONASTERY, ACCOMPANIED BY AN INSIGHT INTO ITS HISTORY
Danubius, XLII, Galati, 2024, pp. 373-485.
Abstract
Alexandru Lăpușneanu, one of the great monastery and church founders of the Romanian Middle Ages, a firm opponent of the Reformation, a zealous defender of Orthodoxy, a fervent practicer of Hesychast, the first monk ruler of Moldavia, during his two short reigns in a turbulent period, builded many new churches and restored some old ones. Among its foundations, we mention the monasteries of Slatina, Păngărăți, Vănătorii Bistriței, Socola, the Unsa hermitage or the church of Saint Nicholas from Iași.
Slatina Monastery, apart from its spiritual mission, proved to be an important cultural center in Moldova, just as other monastic places. Various manuscripts were copied there and memorials were written, according to the tradition. These memorials became important historical sources for unraveling the genealogical secrets of the old princely and noble families. Alexandru Lăpușneanu established in this monastery a library, where prints and manuscripts were found, a music school where, among others, young people from Galicia studied. Within this monastery, chronicles were copied, fabrics, embroideries and miniatures were made. Along with the three edited memorials from 1769, 1813 and 1860, found in the rich collections of the Romanian Academy Library, we also attempt an insight into the historical past of the monastery. We availed both of published bibliography and of unpublished documents. The result was a possible list of the abbots who administered the place and the periods in which they occupied the hegumenal chair.