“Dintr-un Lemn” Monastery

Just a few kilometres away from Govora Spa, at the heart of Valcea County, lies the “Dintr-un Lemn Monastery, whose name is the Romanian for “made of one piece of wood. Like most of the churches in Valcea County and along the valley of River Olt, this one too has its unique story. Legend has it that in the old times, when thick forests covered the place, a hermit found an icon of the Virgin Mary placed in the hollow of an ancient oak tree. Also according to tradition, that was the largest oak tree in the area, so large that it would take six or seven people to put their arms around it. It is from the wood of that oak tree that the hermit and the villagers in the area built a small church to shelter the icon. The church stood from the early 16th century to mid-17th century.

The guide at the “Dintr-un Lemn Monastery, sister Tecla, tells us what this church used to look like: “It was built like an ordinary church, but it had no steeples, because there was not enough wood. The miracle-working icon of the Virgin Mary was kept in this small church for nearly a century, until 1635, when Preda Brancoveanu had a stone church built there. This is when the icon was moved into the princely church where it can still be found today. Around 1800, a fire destroyed part of the building, so the church underwent its first restoration. According to historical documents, the original model was preserved. This is also when the stone foundation was built, and the altar screen was placed. It is the only part of the church made from a different type of wood, lime tree wood, because this is easier to carve and process.

The founder of the stone church, boyar Preda Brancoveanu, was the grandfather of ruler Constantin Brancoveanu. This is one of the reasons why, throughout his rule, the latter made generous donations to this monastery, both in the form of valuable artefacts and estates.

Constantin Brancoveanus successor, Stefan Cantacuzino also paid special attention to the monastery. Sister Tecla again: “In the 16th century the entire site consisted in the small church and the area around it, so it was referred to as a hermitage. Once the princely church was erected in 1653, the site was extended and given monastery status. Preda Brancoveanu also had a residence built there, but by 1715 it had gone to ruins. It was on these ruins that ruler Stefan Cantacuzino built the princely palace in the Romanian Renaissance style that we see today, and which has been restored several times so far. It is here that the Wallachian rulers would rest and pray while travelling through the country. During the same period, stone cells were built around the monastery, which were fully restored in 1900. During those times, the monastery site looked very much like a citadel. The belfry was built by Stefan Cantacuzino in 1715. Today, there are three buildings on the site. The newest structure, right at the entrance, was built between 1999 and 2002. On the right, there is a church whose construction started in 2008.

As for the miracle-working icon, it is still worshiped today, says sister Tecla: “The miracle-working icon, although discovered in the early 16th century, is believed to be much older. Some experts say it dates back to the 4th century and that it is a copy of an icon made by Luke the Evangelist. Others believe it was made in the 13th or 14th centuries and brought from around Constantinople. Others yet say it came from Macedonia and dates to the early 16th century. 160 cm long and 120 wide, the icon is unique in the country, both in terms of size and value. It is painted on cypress wood, but the author is unknown. Interestingly enough, it is painted on both sides. One side features a portrait of the Virgin Mary and on the other a Judgement Day scene.

As proof of the authenticity of the legend about the foundation of the monastery, four immense oak trees believed to be around 500 years old can still be found on the monastery grounds, which would make them contemporary with the oak tree where the Virgin Mary icon was first found.