Location: Situated on the valley of the little brook Almas, from the village Garcina, at approximately 12 km north-west from the town Piatra Neamt, at an altitude of 510 m.

Tel: mobile +(40) 744 69 47 89 or +(40) 233 24 22 40
Web:www.manastireaalmas.ro
The Patron of the monastery: “The Sunday of All Saints”
Year of construction: 1659 – built by Vasile and Maria Almas

Short history of Almas Monastery

Almas Monastery has its origins in an ancient parish of monks, from the XV century led by Vasile Almas, which was from the country of Hateg. Helped by the local people, he built in 1659 a wooden chapel, which bears the patron Saint Nicholas. He used the icons from his old village, from where he was forced to leave in exile. These religious objects exist today and can be seen in the museum of the monastery.

Later, the monastery’s chapel which became the place of prayer at the heritage of Almas, was destroyed by the Tartars. At the same time Maria Almas, the wife of the founder Vasile Almas, lost her life. In the year 1715, Ms. Ecaterina Cantacuzino, the wife of Iordache Cantacuzino, rebuilt the place with wood, with the patron Saint Nicholas.

Almas Monastery, Neamt County

Like most monasteries in Neamt County, in the year 1821, Almas Monastery was robbed and the monks banished and tortured. The church that can be admired today in the monastery, was built of stone, since 1821 and founded by the family of Logofat Bals (Logofat: member of the high council). In that period the church received the patron of “Sunday of All Saints”. Then, Prince Constantin Mavrocordat continue building the monastery and also gives it several land properties.

The architecture of the church is really special. Built in the shape of a cross, the church has three towers located on the east-west axis. The local craftsmen Vasile Gaman, Gheorghe Ursu and Moroiu Constantin worked in oak the furniture. Although at the origins the monastery was designed for monks, beginning with the reconstruction from 1821 it was inhabited by nuns. The first abbot was Glafira Holban followed by the sister of Episcop Melchisedec Stefanescu (Episcop: high rank in the church hierarchy), by her name Suzana.

The monastery functioned until 1959 when by the Decree 410 it was closed and the nuns were forced to leave the monastery and go to Varatec or Agapia. An important aspect of the history of this holy place is that despite oppression and dispositions during the fanariot (fanariot: whealthy Greek person that lived in the Fanar region of the Constantinople) regime there was never held any service in Greek at this monastery.

On 12 January 1987, the monastery from Almas was reorganized as a monk monastery, and the abbot was Arhimandrit Zenovie Ghidescu (Arhimandrit: rank in the church hierarchy). Thus, after this date they started to work on rebuilding the buildings from the monastery. From the old buildings what we can still see these days are the bell-tower which protects the entrance and a small country house that shelters the chapel of St. Nicholas built in 1725.

By a decision in 22 June 1990 the hermitage is transformed into a monastery and the abbot is Arhimandri Laurentiu Nita. The painting of the church was made by painters Morosanu, Bratiloveanu and Stancu from Suceava, between 1988-1995. Sanctified by I.P.S. Daniel Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church on 1 October 1995, the church receives patron Acoperamantul Maicii Domnului (The cover of St Mary).