The inscription on the wall of the Agapia Monastery (“New Agapia” or “Downhill Agapia”) dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel says: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, I, slave of God hetman Gavriil and my wife Liliana, built and endowed this Agapia Monastery again, during the days of the right believer and lover of Christ King Vasile Lupu. And the construction started in the year 7150 (1642), October, the 15th day, and was completed in 7152 (1644), September, the 3rd, and was consecrated in 7155 (1647), September, the 12th”. After the consecration many of the monks of Old Agapia moved downhill, and little by little, a real monastery was built around the church. The Metropolitan of Moldavia, Varlaam Moţoc, officiated at the consecration ceremony, which Vasile Lupu himself attended and all the nobility of Moldova. On this occasion, hetman (minister of war) Gavriil Coci, the brother of king Lupu, donated to the monastery a Gospel book written on parchment and decorated with miniatures of the Evangelists, as well as a silver gilt filigree cross with eight arms.

The name of the monastery comes from a monk named Agapie who founded a wooden church long time ago, called “Old Agapia Monastery” or “The Agapia of the Hills Monastery”. The first documentary in which Agapia Monastery is separated from Neamt Monastery in terms of land ownership was in 1437 in the Decision of Ilies Voda. The founders of “Old Agapia Monastery” are Petru Rares Voievod and lady Elena in 1527, mentioned in The Old Pomelnic (a piece of paper on which you write either the names of living persons or dead ones to be mentioned in prayers) from Agapia Monastery. Another inscription found in the monastery says that the first founders were Petru Shiopul and lady Ruxandra, in the year 1585. Unfortunately, within a short time it collapsed because of the sloping ground. As a consequence, it had to be re-founded by Gheorghe Duca Voivode, but it was afterwards destroyed by the Eteria militants in 1821. In 1832, Mother Sevastia Munteanu founded a new wooden church on the premises, but it burned down in 1934. The church which exists now at Old Agapia was constructed of stone and wood and was erected before 1939.

Located on the valley of the creek Agapia – Topola, at the foot of Magura hill, the Great Agapia or New Agapia Monastery or Agapia from the Valley, is the only monastic settlement in Romania that has the name of “Christian love”, which comes from the Greek “agapis”. The architectural complex is formed by two buildings: Old Agapia Hermitage built in 1585 by Petru Schipul and Agapia Monastery, raised with the money of Hateman Gavril in 1642 and rebuild by prince Sutu after the fire from 1821. The monastery was attacked and damaged by Turks and Tartars in 1671 – 1672, robbed by Tartars in 1674 – 1675 and by Polish in 1680, damaged again by the soldiers of Jan III Sobieski of Poland between 1689 – 1693. Initially, Agapia Monastery was inhabited by monks, but in 1803 the Mitropolit Veniamin Costache turns the monastery into a convent of nuns following the order of ruling prince Alexandru Moruzi. The first abbot was Elizabeth Costache, the sister of the Mitropolit of Moldova, who built on the southern side of the building a holly chapel in 1847 and which has as main patron the “Birth of Virgin Mary.” On 16 September 1821, the monastery was seriously damaged by a fire, but it was restored soon. It was restored and enlarged between 1848 and 1858 (when the church underwent several notable modifications), between 1858 – 1862, 1882, 1903 (after the fire of 23 July) and 1968.

The heritage of Agapia Monastery

Painted by the greatest Romanian painter Nicolae Grigorescu, when he was only 18, in 1858 until 1861, the church of Agapia Monastery becomes a true architectural jewelry which combines characteristics of the byzantine style with the neoclassic style and the Romanian art. Grigorescu managed to achieve a remarkable series of wall compositions under the form of icons, full of movement, light and realism. The inspiration for the compositions comes from the great masters of the Renaissance. He used live models, chosen with much care, to realize his portraits.
 
On the left door of the altar is a painted icon of Saint George (who defeated the beast) inspired from Donatello’s sculpture of Florence and to paint the prophet Daniel, the painter used his own face. The painting of Agapia Monastery has a great artistic value because it is dominated by a flurry realistic authenticity of life. Grigorescu’s masterpiece from Agapia Monastery is represented by three paintings: The Portrait of Saint George, The Entry in Jerusalem and the Holly Mary with Jesus in her arms. The paintings of the Apostles Peter, Andrew, Paul and John, between four windows are based on a manner of painting based on oil pasta with bold safe lines. The saints painted here are unique … special. After seeing the holy beauty, the simplicity of line, the perfection of proportion and shape, silence and peace is the feeling anybody will have in front of the walls and of the icons. Grigorescu was captivated to painting icons. He said: “For me the Saints were alive, I believed that they are looking me and I was waiting that they start to talk, to move and to bless me”. The painter used as models for his saint’s portraitures the priests and nuns from the monastery and villagers and children from the Agapia village.

Grigorescu established a painting workshop at Agapia Monastery, a school where were formed nuns who had artistic inclinations. Today, however, the nuns that paint have abandoned the style of the great realist painter, by painting with Byzantine influences. The museum housed within the monastery shelters a valuable art collection as well as a precious collection of liturgical objects. It also shelters the deposit of old book of the County of Neamt. The library of the monastery incorporates fifty thousand volumes. Attracted by the beauty of the landscape and the surrounding sights, as well as by the peacefulness of the spiritual life of the holy establishment, many writes and cultural personalities visited this monastery especially in the summertime. It was here that they could rest and work in peace, far from the maddening crowd.

The Old Agapia Skete is affiliated to the monastery. The monastic residents who live and serve on the premises forbear to eating meat and meat product. Into this holy place the visitors are not allowed after sundown. Today, it is one of the largest monasteries of nuns in Romania, with 400 nuns and being second in population after Văratec Monastery. The Old Agapia Skete is affiliated to the monastery.