⛪ Curtea de Argeș Monastery
Romania
About This Sacred Site
Curtea de Argeș Monastery, built between 1514 and 1517 by Wallachian prince Neagoe Basarab, is considered a masterpiece of Romanian ecclesiastical architecture. Its ornate twisted towers and intricate stone carvings blend Byzantine, Islamic, and local Wallachian motifs. The monastery is the burial place of Romanian kings and queens and is associated with the haunting legend of Master Manole, who supposedly walled up his wife in the building to ensure it would stand.
Key Facts
- •Built between 1514 and 1517 under Prince Neagoe Basarab
- •Serves as the royal necropolis: Kings Carol I, Ferdinand I, and Queens Elisabeth and Maria are buried here
- •Associated with the legend of Master Builder Manole, one of Romania's most famous folk tales
- •The architecture uniquely blends Byzantine, Moorish, and Romanian decorative elements
- •Extensively restored in the 1870s by French architect André Lecomte du Noüy
Location
Coordinates: 45.1396, 24.6729
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