The wax painting, made under Nicolae Tonitza's guidance, places Mount Ceahlău and shepherds in Moldavian dress in the Nativity.
About the place
According to the convent's tradition, the first settlement here is linked to the nun Marina, a niece of Prince Vasile Lupu, around 1620; the first firm record dates from 1779. The brick church of the Annunciation was consecrated in 1835 by Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi. The gilded limewood iconostasis was painted in Constantinople, and the wooden bell tower dates from 1830–1835. After a period as a parish church, it has been a convent again since 1991.
The porch was painted in 1835. The nave, narthex and altar were painted in wax between 1935 and 1937 by students and graduates of the Iași Academy of Fine Arts, among them Corneliu Baba, led by their teacher Nicolae Tonitza. In the Nativity you can see Mount Ceahlău, and the shepherds wear Moldavian peasant clothes; in the Resurrection, the sleeping guards are Romanian soldiers. On 4 May 2026 the canonisation of Saint Mavra of Ceahlău was proclaimed here.
Good to know
- Services are held daily at 5:30 am and 4 pm; on Sundays the liturgy starts at 7:30 am, according to the convent's website.
- Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and ask the nuns before photographing the paintings inside the church.
- The feast day is the Annunciation, 25 March, when many pilgrims come.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.