The history of this monastery starts with the old settlement - Agapia din Deal (Agapia from the hill) - founded, probably, by petru Rares and his wife Elena, between 1527-1538 or 1541-1546. The high place, hardly accessible, were Agapia din deal is located, makes that at the begining of the 17th century all the annexes to be moved on the place that it is today at Agapia din Vale (from the valley). Ruined and again built, burned and remae again, Agapia din Deal become a very charming hermitage. On the place of the churc, built at the begining of the 17th century, hetman Gavril, the brother of Vasile Lupu (Moldavian ruler), and his wife, Liliana, raise at Agapia din Vale, in 1642, the Agapia Monastery.
Agapia, attacked and robed many times, was renoved radicaly during 1858-1862. Is a period in which the great painter Nicolae Grigorescu makes here some masterpieces. The painting of the great maestro, that had not suffer much in the fire from 1903, are an important treasure of the monastery.
We present some of the icons from the iconostasis painted by N. Grigorescu: on the left are Our Lady si Jesus Christ and on the right Sts. Michael and Gabriel and St. John the Baptist.
The monastery has a museum with an important colection of objects having great historical and artistical value. There old icons from XVI-XVII and XVIII centuries or signed by N. Grigorescu, textures and embroideries, crosses, other religious objects etc. There are also old manuscripts, carpets in Moldavian style made in the monastery workshops.
In the back of the monastery is the former house of Alexandru Vlahuta, today the "Al. Vlahuta" Memorial Museum.
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