My Favorite Architecture in Bucharest: Stavropoleos Monastery and Brâncovenesc Style

Stavropoleos Monastery is absolutely beautiful.

Stavropoleos Monastery, Mănăstirea Stavropoleos in Romanian, also known as Stavropoleos Church (Biserica Stavropoleos). It’s an Eastern Orthodox monastery for nuns in central Bucharest. We saw a nun singing beautifully outside of the monastery before the prayer session. The church is built in a unique Romanian architectural style, Brâncovenesc.

The Brâncovenesc style, also known as Wallachian Renaissance and Romanian Renaissance, is an art and architectural style that evolved during the Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was an extremely wealthy aristocrat, and a builder of fine palaces and churches.

The patrons of Stavropoleos church are St. Archangels Michael, and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word, Stauropolis, meaning “The city of the Cross”.

The paintings inside of the church are absolutely amazing. The dome’s paintings were restored at the beginning of the 20th century, after years of suffering from earthquakes and communist regime.

Stavropoleos Monastery
The dome’s painting
Stavropoleos Monastery
Painting and chandeliar
Stavropoleos Monastery
Details of Stavropoleos Monastery outside wall
Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery door
Stavropoleos Monastery
The courtyard of Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery
The courtyard
Stavropoleos Monastery
Brâncovenesc style
Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery from the courtyard
Stavropoleos Monastery
The main door at Stavropoleos Monastery
Stavropoleos Monastery
Ceiling painting and chandelier
Stavropoleos Monastery
Ceiling painting and chandelier
One of the monastery's constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania
One of the monastery’s constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania
Stavropoleos Monastery
The dome painting
One of the monastery's constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania
One of the monastery’s constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania
Stavropoleos Monastery
The ceiling painting
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