The Painted Monasteries of Romania

In the northeast of Romania, in a region called Moldavia, are a series of beautifully painted monasteries that were erected between the late 1400s and late 1500s.  We took a tour of more than a dozen of these churches, and we were amazed at what we saw.

The plastered outer walls of the churches are intricately painted from top to bottom with scenes from the old and new testaments.  Inside are carefully carved statues and equally impressive paintings from the ceilings to the floor.

It is a shame that so many of the exterior paintings have been worn away by weather and sun.  The southern walls have seen the most damage, many of them now completely blank.  What is left of these paintings are precious.