RO25 Visit to Polovragy Monastery

Visiting a monastery in Romania seemed really essential and was of the utmost interest, as Romanian monasteries were the main promoters of art and culture, with learned scholars, schools, training centres, libraries, and printing facilities attached to them.

 The Polovragi Monastery, in the Oltenia region, has deep roots in Romanian history and tradition. Founded in the 14th century, the monastery was a place of refuge and prayer for Orthodox monks seeking retreat into a natural environment and communion with God.  It was built in the byzantine style and its mural paintings were executed by renowned masters of the Brancoveanu school from Horezu.

In addition to the spiritual aura, Polovragi Monastery is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. Located in a mountainous landscape with imposing cliffs and dense forest, the monastery offers a unique opportunity to combine adoration and admiration of nature.

Polovragi Monastery is now inhabited by a community of nuns, who lead a life dedicated to prayer and work. A nun who has been living in the monastery for 25 years guided us through the church and gave us a lot of explanations about the beliefs, monastic traditions, rites and Orthodox spirituality.

The students shared a unique experience when visiting the monastery. They learnt a lot about the Orthodox religion, its traditions, beliefs and rites.  They were all respectful of the traditions and customs of the monastery.

They were impressed by the beauty and spirituality of this sacred place in the middle of nature.  It made them reflect upon their own lives, away from the hustle and bustle, individualism and superficiality of today's world. It showed them another way of living, based on spiritualty and totally different universal values.