Coșula Monastery

In the year 1535, on the banks of the Miletin River, rose the Coșula Monastery founded by the counselor of Prince Petru Rareș, the treasurer Mateiaș. It bears the dedication to "St. Nicholas" and is considered one of the prominent places of worship in Botoșani County.

The church was painted between 1537-1538. The exterior fresco, which also used the legendary pigment "Coșula yellow," impresses with its uniqueness, being the only monastery that had its exterior painted at that time.

The interior is unique, with the nave and narthex separated by a supporting arch, not by a dividing wall, as was customary. The monastery was considered a cultural and spiritual center because the monks' cells saw the first translations into Romanian from Herodotus, the manuscript being brought here all the way from Crete.

From here, Nicolae Iorga took manuscripts and books of "incontestable value" to the archive of the Romanian Academy. Initially, the abbot's house was the largest library in Moldova, then workshops for calligraphy, icon painting, and later a maternity ward or orphanage were organized.

When you arrive at Coșula, be careful where you leave your "horses of power," so you don't suffer like Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who, according to legend, unrecognized, was locked in the dungeon because he left his horses to graze in the monastery courtyard. But when they released him, he was wearing royal clothes!

If you're curious about Cuza's misadventure, you must come to Coșula. Here, you can experience finding traces of rulers, famous authors, and ordinary believers, all in one place!

Architectural features

The holy place is characterized by the Moldovan medieval style, present at every step.

The plinth and the outline of the windows are made of brick and stone, while the door and window frames, also made of stone, feature Gothic elements.

Additionally, the church is surrounded by a frieze of niches positioned above the five niches of the apses and the altar.

Unique Paintings

The church preserves certain paintings of exceptional importance due to their beauty, uniqueness, and antiquity. One of these was discovered after cleaning the mural painting and depicted the Warrior Saints in martial postures. Another mural painting depicts the Mother of God with the Savior in her arms, and beside her, on both sides, are the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Unfortunately, the original exterior painting that adorned the walls of the building during the first reign of Petru Rareș was removed during repair works. However, a single piece has managed to survive to this day. It is found on the hidden wall of the church's porch and represents the "Last Judgment."

The unique feature of this painting, besides using that "Coșula yellow," is that, in the upper part of the icon, instead of the sky, demons of hell are depicted, representing evil, while in the lower part are the prophets and the Savior, representatives of good.

Invaluable treasures

The monastery dates back to the medieval period, and inside it, we still find exceptional objects from its foundation. Thus, here are well-preserved religious embroideries made of silk thread with pearls and two rubies, a manually crafted epitrahil that once belonged to Anghelina, the founder's wife, as well as a metal cross in Western style.