Church of Saints Peter and Paul of Solca Monastery

The town of Solca is situated in a splendid valley at the foot of the Bucovina Hills. The monastery church here has a tumultuous history and a confident present, reopening its doors in 2021 after 236 years. The old church was completed in the early 17th century during the reign of Ștefan Tomșa II. At that time, the monastery received religious books, treasures, and garments, as well as land, mills, and vineyards.

The church was built in the Moldovan style, with Gothic and Byzantine architectural elements. Even today, it is one of the most imposing monasteries that has endured from medieval Moldova. From the expansion period, a Holy Gospel, liturgical books, and icons bear witness and can be admired in the recently arranged museum space.

Here, the "Chronicle of Solca Monastery" was written, a "Chronicle of Moldova," and there was a spiritual school. In 1810, its cellars became beer clarification stations for the brewery in Solca. Despite the adversities of history, the monastery has resisted with the tenacity typical of the locals.

The year 2022 offered it a new beginning through an extensive restoration project. Therefore, it is worth seeing how a wonderful place is reborn. Especially since there is much to admire in the area: natural reserves, gorges, and lookout points that can enhance your visitor experience.

Founded "on a place shown by God," the church played an important role in the development of the local community over its over six centuries of documentary attestation. The founder of the monastery, Ștefan Tomșa II, known as "especially good with the poor but harsh with the boyars, because they were unjust to the poor," had a tumultuous reign that left traces in the construction of the monastery.

The founder wanted the church to be his tomb, after his death, alongside the other founders, but in 1623, the ruler was killed by the Turks in Constantinople, and his body has not been found to this day.

Legend has it that Anastasie Crimca, the former Metropolitan of Moldavia, cursed the foundation following a disagreement with Prince Ștefan Tomșa II, after which the hierarch was exiled in 1613 for supporting Michael the Brave in the 1600 union. In an act of revenge, the hierarch is said to have uttered the following words: "the house you have built shall become a stable for horses, a tavern, and shall be shot at with a rifle," thus heavy burdens have befallen the monastery over time.

The Solca Monastery's heritage includes several items of documentary and cultural value, including the following:

Once at Solca Monastery, tourists will also find other attractions nearby: churches, parks, reserves, mountains, gorges, and lookout points, which can enhance the experience of visiting the wonderful Bucovina under the sky.