Stânişoara Monastery, called Nucet until 18th century, is situated at the foot of Cozia Massif (Southern Carpathians), on the south versant, on the territory of Călimăneşti city. Its name (stânişoara means "little sheepfold" in Romanian) comes from the sheepfolds which were settled on that area. First hermits came here in Nucet and Ostrov hermitages, located at only 4-5 km away, on the Olt Valley.
From 15th-16th centuries hermits from Mount Nucet came to Cozia Monastery. After several years in poverty they used to come back to Mount Nucet and Sălbaticul (The Wild One), or on other mountains in the neighborhood. In the year 1747, Gheorghe and the boyars Anghel and Petru from Piteşti built a church and cells for monks, having the patron "St. Great Martyr Gheorghe". During the Austro-Russian-Turkish war in 1788, the Otoman army got to hermitage and destroyed the cells.
In 1807, two monks came here from Mount Athos: a Serbian, Sava, and a Romanian, Teodosie, who built a new church. The monastic complex was finished in 1850. Until 1864, the monastery was subordinated to Cozia Monastery. The number of monks was increasing, and in 1903, the monastery abbot, Archimandrite Nicandru Manu, helped by the monastery priests, founded the church, which was finished and sanctified in 1909.
The church's architect was the Italian Debona Apolon. The same architect has built in 1906 the terrace from the north, on which has built a beautiful pavilion in the Romanesque style, used as cells for monks. The fire in February 1917 destroyed the hermitage cells. In their place, between 1936-1940, was built a beautiful chapel in shape of a ship, used by monks for winter services.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series Holy Easter 2016, about which I wrote here.
References
Stânişoara Monastery - Romguide
Sender: Dănuţ Ivănescu
Sent from Călimăneştii (Vâlcea / Romania), on 11.08.2016
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