The stone fountain that can be seen today in the courtyard of the Archdiocese of Râmnic, on the southern side, is a valuable historical monument 1 founded by His Grace Filaret, Bishop of Râmnic and future Metropolitan of Wallachia, on 1 September 1784.
The fountain, crafted in the beautiful Brâncoveanu style, was originally built on the banks of the River Olt, to the right of the Goranu bridge, at a resting place; a waiting area for crossing the river via the floating bridge. The fountain, with its cool water which quenched the thirst of both travellers and animals, stood on the Râmnic field, which linked the town with this crossing point towards Argeș. The road followed Libertății Street, descending towards the landing stage of the floating bridge situated immediately below this ‘2’ fountain.
The bridge over the River Olt, where Vladica Filaret had the charity to commission this fountain, has ancient origins, dating back to the reign of Mircea the Elder. As it had fallen into disrepair by the mid-17th century, it was rebuilt by Matei Vodă Basarab. The Syrian traveller Paul of Aleppo describes it as ‘a very large bridge, one of the beneficent works of the late Matei Basarab’ 3.
Archival documents mention various officials of the principality and later of the Diocese, whose task was to collect the ‘brudina’ (the bridge toll), ensure security and maintain the bridge. It is clear that the toll charged for crossing the bridge was a reliable source of income, since, in the year 1779, Pătru Trăistaru and Ioan Croitorescu leased the Diocese’s bridge at Goran for 60 thalers. In 1680, the Vişinescu brothers donated a plot of land to the Diocese ‘[…] below the road leading from the bridge over the Olt’. The bridge built by Matei Basarab was made of wood and classified as a ‘permanent bridge’, as documented on 17 June 1712 4.
The inscription carved in stone, in Cyrillic script, on this fountain is in fact a poem that flows like spring water:
†The flow of the well’s water,
When it is cool and sweet
, Quenches
thirst and gladdens the eye.
And [as] long as the water flows,
The memory shall not fade,
But proclaims
it to all And glorifies the founder
The founder’s name and the date are inscribed on the stone’s border: “This well was built by the late Bishop of Râmnic, Chiriu, Chiri Filaret; 1784, 1 September[...]”5.
Are these verses the Bishop Filaret’s own creation? Professor Nicu Angelescu is certain that the bishop composed them: “The good steward Filaret also built the ‘Fountain on the Olt’, whose inscription states that: this fountain was built by His Holiness Kiru, Bishop of Râmnic. Kir. Filaret, 1 September 1784. Possessing a gift for poetry, he had the following verses, composed by himself, carved into the stone of this fountain”.
However, we cannot be entirely certain of this, particularly as the same verses also appear at the beginning of the inscription on the Fountain of Master Manole, erected opposite the Curtea de Argeș Monastery in 1804, under the first Bishop of Argeș, Iosif (a native of Malaia, Vâlcea County). The text of the inscription at Curtea de Argeș was published by Nicolae Iorga in 1905 6. Virgil Drăghiceanu attributes the verses to Bishop Iosif himself!7
The inscription found at the ‘Cișmeaua cu Trei Șipote’ (Fountain of the Three Spouts), identified as the fountain built by the master craftsman Manole at Curtea de Argeș Monastery, contains the following verses:
The flow of water from the well,
When it is cold and sweet,
May many people gather
round it To quench their thirst,
To refresh their hearts,
To gladden their eyes,
And whoever drinks gives
thanks And praises the founders,
Bringing joy to all;
And as long as the water flows,
The memory shall not fade,
But grow ever stronger,
For it flows in abundance;
This has no end;
Let everyone come and drink.
This spring lay hidden,
Unimagined since ancient times,
Until now when it was rediscovered,
After first being sought out,
For the taste it possesses;
Thus they found the right course of action:
as soon as they discovered it,
they moved it to this place.
A fine thing, indeed.
His Most Holy Lord Joseph I, Bishop[l]
with Meletius the steward,
for here too they toiled
and spent no small sum on the fountains they built,
as well as on many other things,
at great expense,
both outside and in the courtyard8
Thus, Bishop Filaret’s fountain was erected two decades before the one in Argeș. It is possible that Bishop Iosif drew inspiration from Bishop Filaret’s text when he composed the verses for the fountain in Argeș.
But let us see who was actually the founder of this beautiful work of art, which has stubbornly endured to the present day. Many historians have written that the hierarch, scholar and translator Filaret (b. c. 1735–1794) was of Greek descent. In fact, Filaret was the son of Dimcea, the abagiul of Bucharest, born and brought up in Bucharest to Christian parents, as he himself writes in his diary. He was educated at ‘Saint Sava’ and worked as a teacher of children and, later, as ‘chamber scribe’ to Prince Scarlat Ghica. Metropolitan Grigorie took him into his service at the Metropolitanate’s chancellery. In 1764, he was ordained archdeacon to the metropolitan, then protosinghel, archimandrite and Metropolitan of Mirelor Lichiei (1776).
On 3 March 1780, he was consecrated Bishop of Râmnic. During the 11 years and 8 months he served as Bishop of Râmnic, he proved to be a capable administrator: he built houses and vineyards in Râmnic, and a house with a chapel and cellar in Drăgășani; the Diocese’s fishpond at ‘Fântâna Banului’, and numerous improvements, such as those at the Dobrușa and Gănescu hermitages, which were dependencies of the Diocese of 9. On 6 September 1792, he became head of the Metropolis of Wallachia. He spent his fortune on philanthropic endeavours, founding schools and churches, and building a gazebo and the fountains on Filaret Hill and in Râmnic. In September 1793, he took his final vows and retired to Căldărușani Monastery due to ill health. On 13 June 1794, a document referred to him as ‘the late Metropolitan Filaret’10.
Filaret’s greatest achievement as Bishop of Râmnic was the continuation of the printing of the Minei, a task he had taken over from his illustrious predecessor, Chesarie, in whose prefaces he demonstrated his vast knowledge, both ecclesiastical and secular. During his tenure, over 25 books were printed, all at his own expense, thereby contributing to the Romanianisation of the religious service. It was also in Râmnic that Enăchiţă Văcărescu’s Observations or Remarks on the Romanian Language (1787) was printed, the first grammar of the Romanian language to be published in the Principalities. Due to the Russo-Austro-Turkish War, in 1788 the printing press ceased operations, and the bishop took refuge in Sibiu. Printing operations resumed in 1792, when a new edition of the Ceaslov and a Cazanie were printed. Historical and theological writings, as well as texts in Greek, Latin and French, have survived in manuscript form, attesting to the breadth of his spiritual horizons. Filaret’s likeness is depicted on the north wall of the narthex of the church at Bradu Monastery (Băile Olănești) and in the narthex of St Nicholas’ Church in Muereasca de Sus (Muereasca commune).
But let us see what accounts the people of Vâlcea have left us about Filaret’s Fountain in Râmnic. In his study, Professor Nicu Angelescu mentions the springs and fountains of Râmnic: ‘On the southern side, a few dozen metres from the road, one can see the water reservoir, from which the town’s main water supply pipe originates. Until the end of the last century, the townspeople used water from springs or wells. Apart from the springs at Capela, the one at Zăvoi and ‘Filaret’s Fountain’ on the River Olt, there were no other springs within Râmnicu Vâlcea itself. On the other hand, there were numerous wells, especially in the lower part of the town, where the water table lies at a shallow depth. Over time, however, repeated attempts were made to collect water and convey it via pipes into the town from the springs in the valleys of Capela Hill. During recent excavations, traces of old water pipes have been found in various parts of the town. Their construction is broadly the same: earthenware pipes, joined at the ends with mortar, are encased in an outer shell of ordinary bricks, also bound together with strong mortar. Traces of such pipes have been found at Cetățuie, coming from Dealul Malului, as well as on Carol and Traian Streets, where attempts were made to bring water from the springs at Capela, on the Valea Episcopiei and on the Valea Mandei 11.
When referring to the area north of the confluence of the Râmnic River (Olănești) with the Olt, he mentions, once again, Filaret’s well: “From the confluence of the Râmnic River, I set off along the right bank of the Olt towards the north, past my father’s former estate […] We leave our former estate and, on the path along the riverbank, pass by the sawmill belonging to the brothers Dumitru and Constantin Hanciu, as well as Nae Niculescu’s former sawmill, and head towards the bridge over the Olt. In this part, the houses have become more densely packed, especially on the two narrow streets branching off from Călărași Street [Știrbei Vodă]. Beyond them, at the end of a bend, we come upon ‘Filaret’s Fountain’, built by the great Bishop Filaret, who served as bishop of this diocese between 1780 and 179212
Due to its location on the banks of the River Olt, Filaret’s Fountain was often flooded and half-buried by the silty sand carried by the floodwaters. Râmnicu Vâlcea Town Council restored this monument in 1898. This information is also found in Nicu Angelescu’s account: “Filaret’s fountain was repaired by the Town Council in 1898; however, for quite some time it has been neglected and completely abandoned, and the water now flows from another spring, situated some 15 metres further north, beneath the bank of the River Olt. Although water no longer flows from ‘Filaret’s Fountain’, the memory of this great hierarch will never fade in the town where he carried out such fruitful scholarly work and into which he poured so much light”13 [The History of Râmnicu Vâlcea].
Following this repair, an inscription in Latin script was added to the upper part: ‘Repaired by the Town Council [of Râmnic]. Year 1898’.
In 1920, the Râmnic Town Council ordered that the fountain be moved to another site, a few metres further up, to protect it from flooding by the River Olt 14.
From the contents of two minutes of the Râmnic Town Council’s Inspection Committee, dating from the summer of 1939, we can see that the fountain is on the same site, covering an area of 1,743 metres, bounded by Sublocotenent N. Al. Constantinescu Street and the River Olt15.
Father Constantin Grigore also describes this monument to art in his monograph dedicated to the town, published in 1944. In conclusion, he notes: “Modern water pipes now quench our thirst at home. The paths leading to the fountain have fallen into disuse, and its water has ended up being forgotten, as we no longer have access to it. Today it too is dry and abandoned” 16.
Following the flood of 1975, the fountain was engulfed by water and silt and was in danger of being destroyed. Two young men alerted the local authorities to the imminent danger facing the monument, and so it was restored and relocated to another site, at the foot of Troianu Hill, near the Obelisk of the 1848 Revolution.
Professor Vasile Roman, chairman of the Vâlcea Committee for Culture and the Arts (1968–1979), recounted in his memoirs the state of the fountain’s preservation in 1974: “Two young teachers, Istrate and Sergiu Purece, who had spent their childhood in the neighbourhood on the banks of the River Olt and near the fountain, took the initiative to save it from ‘drowning’. Together with my colleague, Inspector Dumitru Gălățescu, we set off in search of the spring. We reached the end of Tudor Vladimirescu Boulevard, at the Iron Bridge, and, instead of continuing, we walked down the slope to the right of the road, and about 30 metres further on, we came across a distinctive structure, a stone parallelepiped, more than half buried in the alluvial deposits left by the turbulent waters of the River Olt. Resting atop this massive stone box was a truncated pyramid in the shape of a hipped roof, topped by a stone sculpture resembling a cap, into which a border had been carved with motifs similar to those chiselled on the stone walls of the entrance doors to certain monumental churches”17.
In a study published in the journal Studii Vâlcene in 1974, Professor Istrate Purece sounded the alarm regarding the preservation of this artistic monument: “The fountain still stands today, half-buried on the banks of the River Olt, 30 metres south of the end of the iron bridge connecting the village of Goranu on the Râmnicu Vâlcea–Pitești road. Today, the fountain’s stream has run dry, but the beautifully crafted stone monument with its very elegant inscription remains[…] Leafing through old memories, we learn that it was erected in the Râmnic field at the end of the road linking the town with the ford into Argeș County. The road followed the present-day Libertății Street, descending towards the River Olt to the landing stage of the pontoon bridge situated immediately below this fountain.[…] We believe that it is necessary for this monument to be restored and preserved, and for it to be included in the tourist circuit by the relevant authorities in our county. The restoration is all the more urgent given that the monument is currently in a deplorable state, being half-buried in flood-deposited sand and surrounded by sheds and packaging storage areas belonging to O.C.L. Alimentara Rm. Vâlcea18’s.
Seeing the condition the monument was in, President Vasile Roman sent a letter to the municipal council. The mayor at the time, Gheorghe Stoica, declined the request with the following reply: “Relocating the fountain is not among our priorities, nor do we have the funds for such work.” Subsequently, the Culture Committee and the Vâlcea Directorate of Historical Monuments managed to carry out this work. On this occasion, a stainless-steel plaque was fitted, marking the year the Râureni Hydroelectric Power Station was commissioned (1975) and the names of those who contributed to the preservation of this monument: Prof. Vasile Roman, Eng. Constantin Dimitriu and master stonemason Gheorghe Neacşu 19.
The historic monument ‘Filaret’s Fountain’ had appeared as a protected site on the list of historic monuments as early as 1980 20. It is also listed in the register of historic monuments from 1991 21. At the end of 1992, Filaret’s fountain was moved from the Troianu Museum Complex by His Grace Gherasim to the courtyard of the Archdiocese of Râmnic, where it remains to this day.
The writer Constantin Mateescu also wrote about this beautiful episcopal work of art: ‘A few paces from the bridge, along a sloping path, one could reach—by walking along the riverbank—a fountain that has stood guard for several centuries in a row at the eastern gate of the town. On the simple, parallelepiped monument, carved from hard stone, the words are inscribed: ‘This fountain was built by the late Bishop of Râmnic, Kyrin Kir Filaretu, September 1784’. These verses follow, flowing gently, as if penned by the noble hand of Dosoftei […] Following the development works on the River Olt, Filaret’s fountain was ‘moved’ with ‘Communist generosity’ to Traian’s field, where Magheru had temporarily set up camp, and then to the courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace. The town’s elderly residents, however, still look for it in its original spot, where the fountain historically marked the old fording point of the River Olt and served as an obligatory stopping point for travellers and carters coming to Râmnic from Curtea de Argeș and Pitești”22.
His Eminence Varsanufie restored the beauty and functionality of this historic monument—the fountain—during his first year as archbishop in Râmnic, in March 2015. Filaret’s Fountain, which had been blackened by the passage of time, was restored and connected to the drinking water supply.
A new votive inscription was affixed to the back of the fountain to commemorate this marvellous restoration:
Bishop Filaret’s Fountain. This fountain was erected by His Grace Bishop Kiru Kir Filaret of Râmnic, 1 September 1784. ‘The flow of the fountain’s water,
When it is cool and good
, Quenches
thirst and brightens the eyes.
And as long as the water flows,
The memory shall not fade,
And it proclaims
to all And glorifies the founder.” As it had suffered much damage over time, the fountain was repaired by the Town Council in 1898 and restored to its original state by His Eminence Varsanufie of Râmnic, in the first year of his episcopacy, March 2015
This is the story of the founding, preservation and restoration of a valuable artistic creation that forms part of our cultural heritage; the only fountain that has survived from the medieval era of the town at the foot of Capela Hill.
- 1
A Category B cultural heritage site, listed since 1980 and included in the List of Historic Monuments since 2015, with the code: VL-III-m-B-09982.
- 2
SJVAN, Vâlcea County Prefecture collection, file 116/1873, fol. 32.
- 3
Paul of Aleppo, Foreign Travellers on the Romanian Lands, Scientific and Encyclopaedic Publishing House, Bucharest, 1979, vol. VI, p. 180.
- 4
Nicolae Bănică-Ologu, The Golden Age of Râmnic, Oscar Print, Bucharest, 2000, p. 65.
- 5
Medieval and Modern Inscriptions from Romania. The Historic County of Vâlcea (14th century–1848), ed. C. Bălan, Romanian Academy Press, Bucharest, 2005, p. 846.
- 6
Nicolae Iorga, Inscriptions from the Churches of Romania, Institute of Graphic Arts and Minerva Publishers, Bucharest, 1905, p. 155.
- 7
Virgil Drăghicheanu, Bulletin of the Commission for Historical Monuments, 1911, vol. IV, p. 107.
- 8
Medieval and Modern Inscriptions from Romania. The Historic County of Argeș (14th century–1848), ed. C. Bălan, Romanian Academy Press, Bucharest, 1994, p. 646.
- 9
Atanasie Mironescu, The Holy Bishopric of the Diocese of Râmnicu Noul Severin: Past and Present, Gutenberg Press, Bucharest, 1906, p. 156.
- 10
V.A. Urechia, ‘Unpublished documents from the reign of Alexandru Constantin Moruzi (1793–1796)’, in Annals of the Romanian Academy, II, vol. XV: 1892–1893, Bucharest, 1895, p. 10.
- 11
Nicolae Angelescu, Walks and Short Trips, published by Adrianso, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 2005, pp. 325–326.
- 12
Ibid., pp. 278–280.
- 13
Ibid., p. 281.
- 14
Mihai Gherghina, A Wanderer through the Râmnic of Yesteryear, Vol. II, Almarom, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 2020, p. 242.
- 15
SJVAN, Râmnicu Vâlcea Town Hall collection, file no. 27/1940.
- 16
Constantin Grigore, Râmnicu-Vâlcii: A Place of Memories and Recreation – A Monograph and Guide, published by Râmnicu-Vâlcea Town Hall, Râmnicu-Vâlcea, 1944, p. 48.
- 17
Vasile Roman, Testimonies and Memoirs, Almarom, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 2003, p. 224.
- 18
Istrate Purece, ‘A Forgotten Monument: Filaret’s Fountain’, in Studii Vâlcene, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1974, pp. 197–199.
- 19
Vasile Roman, op. cit., pp. 225–226.
- 20
List of assets forming part of the national cultural heritage of the Socialist Republic of Romania (historic monuments) – 1980, vol. III, p. 3.
- 21
See the 1991 Listof Historical Monuments; as of that date, it is still listed under the Troianu – Râmnicu Vâlcea Museum Complex, with the code 39 D 010.
- 22
Constantin Mateescu, Râmnicul of Yesteryear, Almarom, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1993, pp. 143–144.