The church holds the paintings Nicolae Grigorescu made at the age of 20, and the monastery museum keeps more of his works.
About the place
The Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel was built between 1641 and 1643 by Hetman Gavriil Coci and his wife Liliana, and consecrated in 1646. Ottoman troops burned the monastery in 1821, and it was repaired in 1823. From 1858 to 1861, Abbess Tavefta Ursache brought in Nicolae Grigorescu, then 20, who painted the walls and the iconostasis; for some of the saints he used nuns and people from the villages of Agapia and Filioara as models.
It has been a convent since 1803 and today has 300–400 nuns. The monastery museum shows icons from the 16th–18th centuries, crosses, manuscripts, embroidery and carpets from the convent workshops, a room with 29 works signed by Grigorescu and one about the writers who stayed at Agapia. The church and its paintings were restored between 1995 and 2009.
Good to know
- Services: on weekdays at 5:30 am and 4 pm, on Sundays the Liturgy starts at 7:30 am. On 8 November the monastery keeps its feast day (Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel) and many pilgrims come.
- Cover shoulders and knees; women may wear a skirt and headscarf. Ask the nuns before taking photos in the church or the museum.
- The monastery offers pilgrims a place to stay; call ahead. The museum opens 9 am–5 pm according to the cIMeC museum guide; in winter, call first.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.