Humor Monastery located in
Mănăstirea Humorului
Mănăstirea Humorului (german: Humora Kloster/Kloster Humora) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of three villages, namely: Mănăstirea Humorului, Pleșa, and Poiana Micului. The 16th-century ...
, about 5 km north of the town of
Gura Humorului
Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the his ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. It is a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
for nuns dedicated to the
Dormition
The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the ''Theotokos'' ("Mother of ...
of Virgin Mary, or
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
. It was constructed in 1530 by Voievod
Petru Rareş Petru is a given name, and may refer to:
* Petru I of Moldavia (Petru Mușat, 1375–1391), ruler of Moldavia
* Petru Aron (died 1467), ruler of Moldavia
* Petru Bălan (born 1976), Romanian rugby union footballer
* Petru Cărare (1935–2019), wri ...
and his chancellor
Teodor Bubuiog
Teodor is a masculine given name. In English, it is a cognate of Theodore. Notable people with the name include:
*Teodor Muzaka III, Albanian nobleman who was born in 1393.
* Teodor Andrault de Langeron (19th century), President of Warsaw
* Teodo ...
. The monastery was built over the foundation of a previous monastery that dated from around 1415. The Humor monastery was closed in 1786 and was not reopened until 1990.
The church has been inscribed by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
on its list of
World Heritage Sites
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
, as one of the
Painted churches of Moldavia.
Frescoes
Humor was one of the first of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
's painted monasteries to be frescoed and, along with
Voroneţ, is probably the best preserved. The dominant colour of the frescoes is a reddish brown. The master painter responsible for Humor's frescoes, which were painted in 1535, is one ''Toma of Suceava''.
The subjects of the frescoes at Humor include the ''Siege of Constantinople'' and the ''Last Judgment'', common on the exterior of the painted monasteries of Bucovina, but also the ''Hymn to the Virgin'' inspired by the poem of Patriarch
Sergius of Constantinople relating to the miraculous intervention of the
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
in saving the city from Persian conquest in 626. The Persians are, however, depicted as Turks which is a common device in these monasteries, their paintings being used in part for political propaganda in addition to their spiritual meaning.
Gallery
File:Humor Monastery, Romania.jpg, Humor monastery church
File:Humor Monastery Tower.JPG , The tower
File:Humor monastery4.jpg, Interior
File:Humor monastery3.jpg, Interior
File:Humor murals 2010 29.jpg, Exterior
File:Humor murals 2010 01.jpg, Murals
File:Humor murals 2010 24.jpg, Murals
File:Humor murals 2010 05.jpg, Murals
File:Humor murals 2010 04.jpg, Murals
File:Humor murals 2010 28.jpg, Murals
File:Humor murals 2010 14.jpg, Murals
External links
* Kocój E., Świątynie, postacie, ikony. Malowane cerkwie i monastyry Bukowiny Południowej w wyobrażeniach rumuńskich, Kraków 2006, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, ss. 444, 120 pf, https://www.academia.edu/24331662/%C5%9Awi%C4%85tynie_postacie_ikony._Malowane_cerkwie_i_monastyry_Bukowiny_Po%C5%82udniowej_w_wyobra%C5%BCeniach_rumu%C5%84skich_Temples_persons_icons._Painted_churches_and_monasteries_of_South_Bukovina_in_Romanian_imagology_Wydawnictwo_Uniwersytetu_Jagiello%C5%84skiego_Krak%C3%B3w_2006_s._440
Humor Monastery
{{Coord, 47.5931, N, 25.8569, E, source:dewiki_region:RO_type:landmark, format=dms, display=title
Churches completed in 1473
Churches completed in 1530
Christian monasteries established in the 15th century
Churches of Moldavia