Religion And Tourism - Tismana Monastery

Religion And Tourism - Tismana MonasteryTismana Monastery - also named "the Star of Orthodoxy" - is one of the oldest and the most representative orthodox monasteries in Romania. See more about it in this article.
The word "Tismana" is of Thraco-Dacian origin and means "Place fortified with walls". The founder of the monastery is St. Nicodim (1310-1406), who chose the place, the architecture and the ornamentation. St. Nicodim was a Vlach from the south of Danube and he was a relative of Basarab rulers and knez (ruler of the land) Lazar of Serbia. The wish of dedicating his life to God, lead him to leave his home, in Prilep, Macedonia at age 16. With the help of a few monks he reached Mount Athos's Hilander Monastery. Here, he learns Greek, Slavic, and becomes initiated into: architecture, calligraphy, painting, making of silverware, masonry and barrel making. St. Nicodim came in Walachia as his mission was to build a monastery here. After a temporary Hungarian occupation of Severin, St. Nicodim, the Wallachian, and a group of monks from Vodiţa Monastery came to Tismana. It was here, on the foundation of an old monastery destroyed by invaders that he built - with the material support of Voievode Radu I (1377-1383) - the actual church. In 1375, St. Nicodim mediated the reconciliation between the Serbian Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople. As a reward, the ecumenical patriarch Filotei gave him the rank of archimandrite. The church of the monastery was dedicated on 15 August 1378 having "Assumption of the Virgin Mary". Initially, the church had a monochrome painting of simple, geometric or floral drawings that can still be seen. After the monastery was built, St. Nicodim initiated a "cultural stage". He founded a calligraphy school with copyists of ecclesiastical books in different languages. Besides the organizing and spiritual activity St. Nicodim was in correspondence with many people. From his correspondences, the answers received from Eftimie, the Patriarchate of Tarnovo are the only ones remaining. Their dialogue had an impressive cultural and theological style. A conflict arose between Metropolitan Athanasie of Severin and Nicodim. Than St. Nicodim had to leave the monastery he had founded. He went to Prislop, in Silvaşul de Sus, a Romanian center in Haţeg Country. There, on the foundation of an old church, he built a new church, the only one monument in Transylvania with a "three cone" design. After the death of Metropolitan Athanasie of Severin (1404), St. Nicodim returned to Tismana in 1406. On December 26, the same year, he passed away. He was buried in the tomb from the church porch that was dug by him. Like other monasteries, Tismana knew times of severe persecution. So, after numerous destructions caused by the Turks, the monastery knew more periods of restoration and change achieved with the help of Basarab rulers. In 1520, Neagoe Basarab covered the church with lead. In 1541, Radu Paisie made the frames and the doors of the big church. Matei Basarab built not only a small church for the hospital of the monastery (1650) but also the steeple, and he bestowed a big bell. Cornea Brailoiu, the great ban (ruler of the land) of Craiova, next to his big donations, he helped to rebuilt a few of the monks rooms. Lady Stanca Glogoveanu restored the paint (1733 and 1766) and the church doors (1782). Constantin Brancoveanu also brought important financial gifts and worship objects. This is the place where Tudor Vladimirescu conceived the Proclamation from Padeş (22 January 1821) of "Justice law". The Tismana Monastery Thesaurus The monastery had an artistic thesaurus according to its beauty and originality. A great part of it has been lost. From the remaining objects, a part of them may be found in The National Art Museum. In the Monastery Museum there is a great collection of murals, old wooden icons, worship objects, old books, vestments and the former doors of the church which date back to 1782. In the memory of his son Alexandru, George Cosbuc the poet, donated for the Chapel built by Matei Basarabov, two colored glass windows. Being inspired by the beauty of this region, Cosbuc ended the translation of Dante's work "The Divine Comedy" here. The Church of Tismana's Monastery is an impressive "art monument" due to its gilded icons with floral ornaments which was realized in a post-brancovenesc style in 1766; its gilded small icons carved in lime wood (1742); its lecterns carved by the monks in 1731; its metallic bell board having the bi-cephalic eagle from the Basarab ruler's coat of arms. In 1949, the monastery became a cohabitation community for nuns having a communal life that combines work and prayer. The services are held according to the traditional ritual: the daily Holy Liturgy, in the evening the Vesper, at midnight Matius and Midnight service. There are now approximately 60 nuns and sisters at Tismana Monastery, five of them are living in the hermitages of the monastery. The abbess Stavrofora (cross-bearer) Ierusalima Gligor has been the abbess of the monastery for 40 years. During her pastorship, due to the hard work and the contribution of the nuns, the monastery was renovated many times.