The Old Religious Art Collection from Varatec Monastery – Neamt County

In 1960 atVaratec Monastery, in the buildings from the left side of the architectural complex, was organized a museum with religious objects. What makes this collection different from the ones fromAgapia MonasteryandNeamt Monasteryis that here you’ll see objects not only from Varatec Monastery but also from other monasteries as well: sculptures, embroideries, old fabrics, icons, crosses, clothes and ornaments.

The Religious Collection from Varatec Monastery hosts some of the oldest wood painted icons, from XV century that pictures St Nicolae or Archangels Mihail and Gavril brought from Rasca Monastery – Falticeni. From XVI century there is an icon with St Maria with Jesus, brought from Valeni, painted on wood in the byzantine style. You can also see a series of small icons from XVII century and the icon “Maica Domnului Dolorosa” (“Mother of God Dolorosa”) painted by Eftimie. From Topolita Hermitage there some icons with Jesus and St Maria painted by ieromonahul Tiufan (ieromonah is a religious title that refers to a monk that is also a priest) in 1697.

Truly impressive are also other icons of St Maria and Jesus that are present in the religious collection from Varatec Monastery and that dates from 1661, 1179 and 1859. The icon from 1859 was painted by Nicolae Grigorescu and displays St Maria with baby Jesus together with angels.