Soveja Monastery – a 17th Century voivodal foundation in Vrancea region, built as a symbol of the peace treaty reached by two Romanian voivodes, a Moldavian and a Wallachian

In the winter of 1644-1645, in Târgoviște, the peace between Moldavia and Wallachia, two sister-countries at the time, has been agreed. Matei Basarab and Vasile Lupu, the two rulers of the countries, have decided to build each of them a monastery in the country of the other as a sign of reconciliation.

Matei Basarab, the Reigning Prince of Wallachia has begun the building works for Soveja Monastery (or Dobromira) in the spring of 1945, succeeding to finish the works until the winter of the same year, and meanwhile Vasile Lupu of Moldavia has built Stelea Church in Târgoviște. Soveja Monastery has become a temple of the Birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. In 1864 the monastery is transformed in parish church.

The form of the monastic site is rectangular, being surrounded by 2-meter height walls of rough stone. Only a few ruins have remained of the old cells. The monastery has undergone through several modifications and transformations during time. During the last refurbishment terminated in 2008, the shingles roof has been replaced by a copper sheet roof and the bell tower has been rebuilt.

Arriving in front of the monastery, the feelings of admiration, but also of piety are very strong. In an environment of absolute silence, you begin to experience the peace of reconciliation with yourself and the world. Visually, you can’t remain unmoved in front of the pure white of the church, you can’t help to admire the yard, the parish house, the inside fresco painted to Saints faces, among which we can see the faces of the two voivodes. Everything is surrounded by a warm light. At the entrance, an old stone, worn by the times, stands as a silent witness of the past centuries. Everything seems to be surrounded by an invisible spirit that carries with it the hope of reconciliation sealed by the two voivodes.

When you get here, dear traveller, don't hesitate to stop by the Soveja Hermitage. It is located on the left bank of the river Șușița, somewhere in the middle of the forest. This is another piece of heaven of Romanian spirituality. The hermitage was built in 2002 as a sign of the continuity of a monastic tradition broken sometime in 1639, after the destruction of the Babelor Hermitage by the Wallachian armies and the Hungarian mercenaries of the prince Gheorghe Rakoczy of Transylvania.

Sources:

https://www.crestinortodox.ro/biserici-manastiri/manastirea-soveja-136972.html

https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comuna_Soveja,_Vrancea