Location: Pangarati monastery is situated near the road DN15 (National Road number 15) that links the towns Piatra Neamt and Bicaz, near the hydroelectric from Stejaru.

Address: Pangarati village, Neamt County, postal code 617305

Tel: +(40) 233 24 03 37
Fax: +(40) 233 24 05 02

E-mail: [email protected]

Web:www.teofil.ro

Patron of Pangarati Monastery: Sfantul Mare Mucenic Dimitrie (St Dimitrie)

Year of construction: 1560 by ruler Alexandru Lapusneanu

Short history of Pangarati Monastery

Pangarati Monastery is first mentioned at the beginning of the XV century in the year 1460 when the monk Simeon, which was one of the advisers of ruler Stefan cel Mare, built here the first wooden church. In the year 1476 the church was burned to the ground by the Turkish and the monks ran into the woods where they stayed up until the war was over.

In the year 1560, ruler Alexandru Lapusneanu transforms the small hermitage from Pangarati in a monastery and builds the first stone church which is known for its unique architecture. Although in the beginning Pangarati Monastery had a small piece of estate in less than a century it became one of the biggest land owners Bistrita valley.

The name of “Pangarati” comes from a monk named Pangratie, thinks the historian Nicolae Iorga. The first time when Pangarati monastery is mentioned under this name is in July 9, 1577.

In time, the architectural complex from Pangarati was restored and increased. Dumitru Soldan built in the year 1642 the bell-tower and then, in the XIX century, Macarie built the cells from the south-west side where there is also placed the abbot’s house and the library. The abbot Varnava restores Pangarati monastery and constructs new buildings in the year 1850.
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In the year 1960 the monastery was closed until 1990. In the buildings of the monastery functioned a Resort for Biological and Geographic Research – Stejarul. On May 23, 1991 Pangarati monastery is reopened and they began the hard work of reconstruction and restoration.

From 1996 the new abbot Teofil Lefter works very hard to bring back to life Pangarati monastery. He manages to build a beautiful new church and to reorganize the entire complex into a calm and peaceful place.

The heritage of Pangarati Monastery

The old church from Pangarati is built from stone. The big proportions from the outside are lost when you enter the building. The thing that makes it unique is that in fact there are two churches built one on top of the other. The first church has the entrance oriented to the south and has as patron the Sts. Peter and Pavel. The church from the first floor has its entrance oriented to the north and has as its patron St Dimitrie.

The small church from bellow was actually a hiding place transformed in a chapel. The church from Pangarati Monastery has a unique architecture: the windows are from wood with an iron grate. The exterior walls of the church are whitewashed.

The interior of  Pangarati monastery is surrounded at the west and east by a 5 m tall wall. In the interior we can find concrete alleys and colorful roses.