At the top of the list of places I wanted to see in Romania were the painted monasteries of the Bukovina. These stone buildings are painted with images of saints, last judgments and biblical scenes both inside and outside. Most of these monasteries date from the 16th century, although most are built upon much earlier foundations. The pigments used to paint the exterior walls have proved remarkably resilient, even in the face of the extreme winters Moldavia experiences. Each on the monasteries is known for a different pigment — Voroneţ, for example, is known for the brilliant lapis lazuli that adorns its exterior. My favorite of all was Suceviţa, sitting in a beautiful valley. We made a circuit visiting Arbore, Voroneţ, Moldoviţa, Suceviţa, Humor. We also visited Putna, burial place of King Stephen (died 1504) and Slatna, neither of which is strictly a painted monastery. At Slatna the nuns were preparing for the burial of a priest whom a nun described to me as “one who lived like a candle.” Exactly what she meant I do not know, but the image stuck with me.
