Slatina monastery, Religious monument in Slatina, Romania.
Slatina Monastery is a fortified religious complex in northern Romania, in the village of Slatina, with four defensive towers at the corners of its enclosure wall. The walls are made of river stones reinforced with cut stone and enclose a church and several outbuildings.
The monastery was founded in 1558 by Alexandru Lăpușneanu, the prince of Moldavia, and at the time it was one of the largest religious buildings in the region. Over the centuries the complex was expanded and restored several times, though it lost much of its prominence as a monastic center by the late 18th century.
The church inside is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, a feast that holds great weight in Orthodox Christianity. Visitors can see icons and painted walls inside that follow centuries of local religious tradition.
The monastery is in a rural area in northern Romania and can be entered through either the northern or southern door of the enclosure wall. Modest clothing is recommended, as the site is an active religious community with nuns living on the grounds.
The enclosure forms an irregular quadrangle, which sets it apart from most fortified monasteries in the region and hints at the different building phases it went through. The bell tower holds two large bells cast in 1830 that are still rung today.
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