UNESCO Horezu Monastery

The monastery of Horezu was build by the ruler Constantin Brancoveanu in 1693 and is considered the most reprezentative architectural complex for the world-renowned „Brancoveanu” style. The Monastery of Horezu was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1993 mainly as a recognition of its rich culture, architecture, the abundence of sculptural detail and its painted decorative works.

Only 50 km away from Ramnicu Valcea, the monastery is surrounded by woods, located in a charming place filled with solitude, whose silence is only disturbed by the sound of „huhurezi” night birds - which probably led to the name of the surroundings and the name of the church.
According to legend, the craftsmen hired to build the church were afraid of turkish invadors and were forced to work only during the night, at a time at which the „huhurezi” birds were singing.

The monastery comprises two establishments. The first is surrounded by a brick wall and the second one is surrounded by three buildings and a wall. The entrance to the ansamble is made through a big wooden gate and in the middle stands the big church, having a length of 32 m and a height of 14 m. The bell tower has 4 bells, weighting between 300 and 1000 kg and three of them have the name of the ruler, Constantin Brancoveanu, craved on them.

This is also the place where the Constantin Brancoveanu library was founded, which to date comprises 4000 books. The library catalogue drawn up in 1971 showed that, by that time, the library had 382 typed books and 46 written manuscripts, out of which only 115 were in Romanian language. Among the books in this library you can find Homer’s Odyseea (typed in Basel in 1541), Euripide’s Tragedies (typed in Basel in 1551) and Novellae included by Iustinian the Great in his Great Codex (typed in Paris in 1568).

For those seeking a quiet and peaceful place and want to experience monastery life even for just for one evening, overnight accommodation is also possible.

You can take a virtual tour here.

The small town of Horezu is also home to another cultural treasure - the Horezu ceramics craftmanship. This pottery technique was include on the UNESCO world heritage list and is renowned for intricate designs and vibrant colors. Skilled artisans continue to create beautiful pieces using traditional techniques, and visitors can see these exquisite ceramics on display at museums and galleries throughout Romania. You can also experience first-hand the artisans' techniques while learn some of the skills yourself by attending a pottery workshop in Horezu.

Thinking of more UNESCO sites in Romania? Check our Romania cultural tours and also our highly appreciated Transylvania tours.