Monastery “Dormition of the Mother of the God”, Capriana

The encyclopaedia “Literature and Art of Moldova” (edition of the year 1985) provides a reference that Capriana Monastery was founded during the reign of Alexandru cel Bun (1399-1432), and got reconstructed by Stefan cel Mare (years of reign 1457-1504) prior to the year 1470 that is usually considered its foundation. In the monastery they tell that the cloister was supervised by Alexandru cel Bun and Stefan cel Mare since 1420s. 

It is also known that in 1545 another ruler of the Moldovan Principality Pentru Rares constructed a church “Dormition of the Theotokos” in Capriana Monastery. Apropos, the church has survived till nowadays. While the central representative church “St. George” was constructed in 1840 by Father Superior Hilarion. The two-storey stone house constructed in 1826 has also been preserved. Today the restored cloister appears in all its glory.

In the year 1698, Moldovan Ruler Antioh Cantemir II ruled to cede the cloister into the ownership of the Zograf Monastery at Athos (Greece). Since the year 1813 Capriana was supervised by the Board of Archpriests of Chisinau. In 1857 the cloister was again ceded to the Zograf Monastery. Quite for long the monastery hosted the residence of Metropolitan. Therefore, the most holy relic is located in the place: the burial place of Metropolitan Gabriel Bonulescu-Bodoni, who passed away in March 1821. 

On October 25th 1962 the monastery saw the last holy service, and already the next day the cloister was abolished. A child hospital was established at the Orthodox monastery. In the year 1989 Capriana Monastery opened again its doors for people of faith.

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