On 1 January 1850, Archimandrite Hrisant Penetis drew up several wills, one in favour of the Greek church in Sibiu, to which he bequeathed the income from Mount Cocora 1, and another for the benefit of Ciorogârla Monastery-Samurcășești in Ilfov County, to which, according to the deed, the income from his warehouse in the port of Brăila was to be allocated 2. A third deed, drawn up on the same date, provided for the establishment and endowment of a girls’ boarding school in the town of Brăila 3. In this study, we publish transcriptions and facsimiles of the first two of the aforementioned documents which, beyond the specific details they contain—which are important for the history of these ecclesiastical institutions— but above all for understanding the personality of the Greek clergyman living in Wallachia, are also distinguished by their exceptional artistic style, being adorned with icons rendered in coloured inks and gold leaf. The third document, which is better known as ‘4’, although it too has a solemn form, being authenticated with the issuer’s seal, is not decorated with icons, but only with an image of the building to be erected, placed above the text, in the centre of the frontispiece.
In 1850, whilst drawing up the documents, Hrisant Penetis was archimandrite of Hurezi Monastery in Vâlcea County, a position he held from 10 October 1832 to 30 March 1852. As we learn from our texts, he was originally from the island of Andros in Greece. In his youth, he had lived in Constantinople, then, in 1806, he came to Wallachia, settling first in Brăila, a port renowned for its strong Greek community, to which the cleric would remain deeply attached for the rest of his life. Later, he was active in the Oltenia region, becoming, with the help of the great boyar Grigorie Brâncoveanu, abbot at Polovragi and then at Hurezi, a position in which he also looked after other monasteries in the area, Dintr-un Lemn, Surpatele, the Brâncoveanu-founded monasteries, all dedicated to Hurezi.
Studies devoted to Hrisant Penetis focus particularly on his administrative work, the restoration or foundation of holy places, and his careful management of monastic revenues, highlighted in particular by his correspondence with secular and ecclesiastical authorities. In this context, it is worth noting that he oversaw the construction and consecration of the Bucovățul Nou Monastery 5, situated on the other side of the River Jiu from the old church of the same name, which had been damaged by floods, thereby becoming its new founder and abbot for life, from 1843, having been appointed to this post by the abbot of the Varlaam Monastery at Meteora, where Old Bucovăț was venerated as a metochion and confirmed in this status by the Ecumenical Patriarch 6.
We also recall that Hrisant Penetis paid particular attention to the painting of the churches, for which he employed skilled and devout painters, such as the renowned master Gheorghe, who worked at the monasteries of Dintr-un Lemn, Bucovăț and Troian, and who, towards the end of his life, took the monastic name Gherontie 7.
Beyond his well-known administrative work, the archimandrite also looked after the members of the monastic communities. For example, whilst serving as abbot at Hurezi, in his capacity as trustee of Surpatele Monastery, he corresponded in 1839 corresponded with Abbess Platonida of Dintr-un Lemn Monastery regarding the plundering of Surpatele Monastery and the murder of Abbess Elisabeta by a gang of robbers operating in the area. Upon learning of the tragic event, Hrisant informed the Bishop of Râmnic, as well as the secular authorities, namely the Vâlcea County Administration, urging that the guilty parties be apprehended 8.
We also know that the abbot of Hurezi had supported educational activities by establishing schools on the monastery’s estates at Baia de Fier, Polovragi and Romani, as attested by a letter of his dated 2 January 1840, addressed to the Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs. At the same time, he had supplied firewood from the monastery’s forests to other educational institutions, and, at his own expense, had sent teachers to study 9 and had awarded prizes to deserving pupils who had distinguished themselves through good academic results and exemplary behaviour 10. Hrisant Penetis generally maintained good relations with the Romanian political authorities, as well as with the Greek clergy, receiving several honours from them (the Order of the Saviour, First Class, and the Order of Glory), which can also be seen in the portrait of him, painted in an academic style with Biedermeier elements, by the painter Isidor Neugass 11, as well as on his personal seal, made of red wax, with which he authenticated his wills in 1850.
The documents presented below are preserved in their original form in the Seal Collection of the Library of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest and the Central National Historical Archives, as they are authenticated by the issuer’s hanging seal, preserved in a metal capsule. They supplement the information about Hrisant Penetis; however, as they are wills, they reveal aspects that may be more difficult to discern from other types of historical sources (such as parish registers, official documents and correspondence with the authorities). We note that, apart from the specific details they provide regarding the archimandrite’s income at that time, the documents bear witness more to his personality, to the archimandrite’s willingness to assist the holy places in times of need, and of the care he took to preserve the true faith and to perform church services for the departed, the details of which the legatee saw to in great detail.
At the beginning of the texts, Hrisant recalled his origins and the time he spent in Wallachia: “signed by Hrisant the archimandrite, born into the Penetis family, in the village of Andros, in the Greek state […] during the long span of 45 years of his life in the Orthodox Principality of Wallachia’12.
The aid granted to the Greek church in Sibiu, built by the trading company 13 at the end of the 18th century, with the support of the renowned merchant Hagi Constantin Pop, came in response to a request from the community’s leadership, who had explained to Hrisant Penetis that the company’s income could no longer cover its expenses, and that the church was in danger of being closed down 14. To avert such a possibility: ‘lest, in time, God forbid!, it should fall into disuse and come under the control of other nations alien to the Orthodox faith’12; Hrisant decided to grant it the income from Mount Cocora, which he had purchased from the freeholders of Mălaia, by deed and with the agreement that payment would be made in instalments.
Part of the revenue from this mountain was to be allocated: “to cover and assist with annual expenses, for all necessary matters, namely: the priest’s salary—who, in accordance with the imperial decrees, is brought from Greece—as well as that of the chanters and others, and for the eternal remembrance of my soul and that of my parents’15”.
And another portion of the money was set aside for the preparation of the memorial service, for, in return for the donation, the church council and the head of the Greek community in Sibiu were obliged to hold a service at the time of death and thereafter annually, for the eternal remembrance of the archimandrite and his parents, spending fifty silver florins, of which a portion was to be given to five other Orthodox churches for the celebration of the service. The memorial service was to be conducted by the local bishop, ‘who shall read the great prayers for the forgiveness of the soul, with priests, candles and all that is necessary, in accordance with Orthodox law, whilst the remaining annual income from the mountain was to be spent in perpetuity on the upkeep and maintenance of the church’15
The donation was, however, conditional upon the preservation of the Orthodox faith; otherwise, the will would be annulled, and the money was to be transferred to the girls’ boarding school planned for Brăila: “until the merciful God preserves this holy place undisturbed under the rule and protection of the Orthodox faith”15. This clause was included because the church was not in Wallachia, but in Transylvania, where the political regime did not favour Orthodoxy 16.
To reinforce the document, alongside Hrisant Penetis, the metropolitan of the country, Nifon 17, and several Greek hierarchs who were in Wallachia at that time signed it in their own hand, among whom we recognise Calistrat, Metropolitan of Libya, who was abbot of Zlătari Monastery in Bucharest, a metochion of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The date was also attested by: the archimandrite of Sărindar Monastery in Bucharest, dedicated to Pateron Monastery in Greece; Bishop Gregory of Agatonikia, a diocese in Bulgaria, and Athanasius of Palmyra, the abbot of the Monastery of St Spiridon the Elder in Bucharest, dedicated to the Patriarchate of Antioch 18. Among the witnesses is also Archimandrite Dionysius, who wrote his name in Latin letters19. Regarding the dating, we note the use of the year from the Nativity of Christ, 1850, but also the old formula, from the creation of the world, 7358, which was no longer used at that time in official secular documents, but only occasionally in ecclesiastical records.
The Archimandrite took care to specify in detail in his will the boundaries of this mountain, as he had found them in the deed by which he had acquired it. The description of the boundaries is of interest from the perspective of historical geography and toponymy, providing information not only on the history of the Hurez and Bistrița monasteries (as it mentions some of their properties in the area), but it is also significant for social history (as it records the estates of the inhabitants and the names of some of them) and for linguistics (as it records synonyms with diverse etymologies). For example, three mountains in a nearby area are named: Zănoaga 20 (of Slavic etymology), Groapa and Curmătura 21 (for which philologists point to a comparison with Albanian terms—and thus ancient ones—from the substrate), all of which highlight more or less the same concept: a depression in an area of relatively high relief 22. The places mentioned in the document are situated in the north of Vâlcea County, in the Căpățânii Mountains area, near the village of Mălaia, in the commune of the same name, close to Lotru. On the topographical map, we can identify, to the south of Mălaia, the Cocora peaks; to the west of these lies Groapa Mălăii, and to the east, Curmătura Rudeanului and Curmătura Zănoaga. Between Mălaia and Cocora, we can see the watercourses of the Mălăița, Păiuș and Bucuresii.
The document for the church in Sibiu is decorated with the icon of the Transfiguration, the patronal feast of the holy place, positioned above the text, centrally and rendered in brightly coloured inks 23. The image is framed within an oval medallion with a wide, yellow border, flanked by two facing guardian angels, as well as floral motifs which continue downwards, forming a border around the entire inscription. On either side of the icon, above the angels, the words ‘The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor’24 are written in cinnabar.
Broadly speaking, the composition of the icon follows the traditional style recommended by Byzantine painting manuals: Christ on a mountain, depicted frontally, standing, clothed in white and surrounded by rays of light; the prophets Moses, with the Tablets of the Law on one side, and Elijah on the other, in a posture of prayer; and below, at the foot of the mountain, prostrate on the ground, the three apostles: Peter, James and John 25. We note an element specific to Byzantine iconography, namely the light, depicted in the form of a mandorla with rays emanating from Christ in all directions 26. However, we also observe a detail that deviates somewhat from the tradition of Byzantine painting, namely the depiction of the apostles with haloes 27. The angels are depicted as young men, with wings and clothed, in accordance with Orthodox tradition, rather than naked, as is the case in Western art 28. Unfortunately, neither of these two wills specifies the name of the person who wrote or decorated them, so, at least for the time being, we cannot attribute the icon to a particular miniaturist or painter.
Hrisant Penetis’s document is the only will we know of that is adorned with the icon of the Transfiguration. Although this icon is found in manuscripts 29 or ecclesiastical printed works 30, in the form of engravings, in books intended for worship, it is rarely depicted on official documents or in official chancery records, and when it is, it is always associated with the patron saint of a holy place. In the context of charters, this iconographic theme appears only once more: on the document dated 9 February 1778, by which Alexandru Ipsilanti, Prince of Wallachia, confirmed the previous grants and privileges 31 to the Proti Monastery, near Tsarigrad. On the document, the Transfiguration—the monastery’s patronal feast—is depicted on the left, whilst on the right is the icon of Saint Alexander, Patriarch of Constantinople, the voivode’s patron saint.
Indeed, the Transfiguration is a patronal feast widespread in the Greek and Romanian worlds (and throughout the Orthodox world of the former Byzantine Commonwealth 32), more commonly found in monastic churches and less frequently in parish churches, as it was promoted primarily under the influence of, and subsequently through the revival of, Hesychasm. In the Romanian Orthodox monastic world, in Wallachia and Dobruja, between the 12th and 21st centuries, this feast day ranked 17th, having been chosen by 12 monastic communities. In Moldavia, from the 14th to the 21st centuries, it ranked 8th, being the patron saint of 24 monasteries and hermitages. Meanwhile, in Transylvania, Maramureș, Banat and Crișana, from the 12th to the 21st centuries, it ranked 6th, with 16 monasteries bearing this patronage33
On the same date, 1 January 1850, the archimandrite issued a second bequest, in favour of the nuns’ hermitage at Ciorogârla-Samucășești, in Ilfov County, to which, seeing its state of destitution 34, he bequeathed the income from his warehouse in the port of Brăila. From the sum of money the warehouse would receive, two hundred lei were to be set aside annually as a reserve for the maintenance 35 of the warehouse; the abbess and three other nuns were to be informed of this sum: 36, the treasurer, and two cantors, so that, should the abbess die or move to another convent, the money would be safe.
Two-thirds of the income were earmarked, in accordance with the provisions of the will, for the support of the hermitage and its annual expenses, whilst the remaining third was to be used to fund a memorial service each year, for the eternal remembrance of the benefactor and his parents. Instructions were also given on how this service was to be organised: the purchase of candles, which were to be distributed amongst the priests, the chanting nuns and the other nuns, and the preparation of koliva, all organised in accordance with the honour and splendour of our Orthodox law 37. Money was also distributed from this sum to the priests and the inhabitants of the hermitage.
As in the previous document, the endowment was valid for as long as the hermitage existed; should it be dissolved, the income was to be redirected to the girls’ boarding school, which Hrisant mentioned he had established with a special bequest in the town of Brăila 37. The document bears the handwritten signatures of the same Greek clergymen as the previous document, the Metropolitan of the country, and Hrisant Penetis, who also affixed his personal seal—a round seal in red wax, preserved in a metal capsule.
The will for Ciorogârla Monastery was adorned with an icon of the Holy Trinity, the church’s patron saint. The image was placed, as in the previous document, above the text, in the centre of the frontispiece, within a slightly oval medallion, bordered by a golden and pearled frame along the outer edge, flanked by two angels, tenants (though no longer facing each other, as in the Sibiu document), each holding a garland of yellow, blue and red flowers, which also form the border of the document. The miniature is executed in vividly coloured inks and liquid gold. The angels are depicted as young men, clothed and with wings.
The Holy Trinity is depicted as follows: the Father, on the right, as an elderly man with white hair and a long white beard, holding the globe in his left hand and blessing the Son with his right, who is placed on the left-hand side of the composition, depicted holding the Holy Gospel in his left hand and the Holy Cross in his right (the marks of the nails being visible on his hands and feet), whilst above, in the centre, in the form of a white dove with outstretched wings, the Holy Spirit is depicted. The three Persons of the Holy Trinity are depicted with haloes, rendered in liquid gold, and rays of light emanate from the Holy Spirit. Above it is inscribed: The Holy Trinity. Although this composition is of Western influence rather than traditional Byzantine, it was nevertheless widespread in Greece, the Balkans, Russia and Romania 38.
In Romanian charters, the Holy Trinity appears three times: on the 1715 charter granted by Ștefan Cantacuzino to the monastery bearing this name, across the Danube; in the deed of 1735, issued by Grigorie II Ghica, for Valea Monastery in Argeș County, though in the form recommended by Byzantine painting manuals, known as ‘Abraham’s Hospitality’, where the Persons of the Holy Trinity are depicted as three young men (angels) in Abraham’s tent, seated at a table and wearing haloes 39. However, those depictions found in 18th-century chancery documents also have their own distinctive features 40. The third depiction encountered to date is the one on the charter of 1786, issued by Nicolae Petru Mavrogheni for two churches in Bucharest, where the Holy Trinity, again depicted under the influence of Western painting, crowns the Mother of God 41.
In liturgical books—whether manuscripts 42 or, more commonly, printed works 43—the Holy Trinity is depicted quite frequently in both iconographic variants 44, and as a patronal feast, it appears in the Romanian Orthodox monastic tradition at 44 monasteries (5th place) in Wallachia and Dobruja, in 25 (7th place) in Moldavia and in 19 (4th place) in Transylvania, Maramureș, Banat and Crișana, from the earliest documentary records to the present day 45.
Hrisant Penetis’s two bequests are, to date, the most recent documents 46 adorned with icons, raising the upper limit of documents decorated with images of saints from 10 October 1824 47, as we had established in our previous study dedicated to them, to 1 January 1850. In terms of typology, they differ from the rest of the documents studied in that they are wills, drawn up by a clergyman; they are not charters—that is, official chancery documents—nor are they princely confirmations of various decrees (which, in form, are also charters) 48. Consequently, amongst the documents, Hrisant Penetis’s deeds are the only wills adorned with icons that we have identified to date; they also bear the distinguishing feature of being authenticated with a hanging seal.
Based on an analysis of the content of the two wills and of Hrisant Penetis’s activities in Wallachia, as presented in previous historiography, we consider that the archimandrite of Hurezi took care of the Romanian monasteries as well, which he managed skilfully, being renowned ‘for his devotion to the adornments of God’s holy abodes’49 – and the churches built by his fellow Greeks, to whom, quite naturally, he remained deeply attached for the rest of his life. The donations he made in his will, with the wish to be commemorated after his death at the holy services, together with his parents, were directed towards places of worship founded by Greeks: the church in Sibiu belonged to the Greek merchants’ guild, whilst Ciorogârla Monastery had been founded in 1808 by Constantin Samurcaș, a boyar family of Greek origin. Furthermore, the warehouse he owned and the girls’ boarding school he planned to build (which was to be run by his nephew, the baker Stamate Penetis) were both situated in Brăila, a port city with a strong Greek community. We also note the archimandrite’s concern that the endowments should remain valid for as long as the places of worship benefiting from them functioned as Orthodox churches; he specified that the donations would be revoked (or ‘withdrawn’, as the text states) should there be a departure from Orthodox doctrine or from Romanian rule, which protected Orthodoxy (a clause which was intended particularly for the church in Sibiu, as Transylvania was at that time under Austrian rule).
Appendix 1
Regarding 50
The Metropolitan of Hungary certifies51
Since the holy Greek church where the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on the 6th day of August, which was built in ancient times by the Greek Orthodox founders, the trading company of the city of Sibiu 52, in the region of Transylvania, recognised and confirmed by the imperial decrees K. K53, and for some time now, as the said company has dwindled, due to the circumstances of the times, it is no longer able to provide the holy church with the necessities required to cover its annual expenses.
Therefore, following the requests made on several occasions by the undersigned Archimandrite Hrisanth54, born of the Peneti family, the island known as Andros, in the Greek state, to provide an annual contribution towards covering the essential expenses and maintaining this holy Orthodox church mentioned above in good condition, lest, in due course, God forbid!, it might fall into disrepair and come under the control of other nations alien to the Orthodox faith.
Therefore, from his meagre but rightful earnings, which the merciful God has deigned to bestow upon him over the long course of 45 years of his life in the Orthodox Principality of Wallachia, I, 55, hereby resolve: of my own free will and good pleasure, that Mount Cocora 52 be forever a gift, by virtue of this bequest, to the holy church mentioned above. This mountain, having been purchased outright from the villagers of Mălăeni, with a deed attested by numerous witnesses, as well as by the local magistrates, currently yields an annual income of seventy K.K. gold coins, No. 70, that is to say 315 silver florins, and, depending on the times, may yield up to fifty silver florins per year.
And the terms thereof, as set out in the deed of purchase, are as follows: to the east, it is bounded by another hill, also in the village of Mălaia, called Butila, which extends from the southern summit of the hill known as Zănoaga, belonging to the holy monastery of Bistrița, and run in a straight line down towards Lotru, to the north, past the Bucurésii spring downstream, as far as the Bucurésii stream. However, halfway down the stream from the spring, as it flows from the south towards the north, on the left-hand side lies the boundary of Mount Cocora52, and on the right-hand side lies Mount Butila.
Then, from the Bucurésii valley, the path heads westwards into the Păiușului valley, and from there straight on to Mount Groapa Mălăii, at the spring known as Mălăița, where it meets Mount Groapa Mălăii, belonging to the Măldărești boyars.
And from there it turns upwards towards the south, running parallel to Mount Groapa Mălăii, forming the boundary between Mount Cocora 55 and Mount Groapa Mălăii, the spring known as Mălăița, and climbs southwards to the summit, where it meets the mountains of the holy Horezul Monastery. Then, from the summit, it follows the ridge eastwards downhill and continues to the spring of Bucurésii, where the boundaries of this mountain end. And the boundary marker separating it from the mountains of the holy monastery of Horezu is a small hill called Curmătura Rudeanului, belonging to the freeholders of Bogdănești, and the mountain of Zănoaga, belonging to the holy monastery of Bistrița; runs entirely along the ridge, following the watercourses; that is to say, the waters flowing from the ridge towards the south belong to the aforementioned properties; whilst the waters flowing towards the north lie within the Cocora55 boundary.
Therefore, in accordance with these marks and the terms of the deed of purchase—the original of which is attached to this testament—the aforementioned holy church shall hold it in perpetuity, to cover and assist with the annual expenses, for all necessary matters, namely: the priest’s stipend, who, in accordance with the imperial decrees, is brought from Greece, that of the cantors and the deacon 56, and for the eternal remembrance of my soul and that of my parents, until the merciful God preserves this holy place undisturbed under the rule and protection of the Orthodox faith.
And should, God forbid, the course of events lead to a change in local rule and the cessation of services at the holy church, then this bequest shall remain in force for ever. And the mountain shall pass into the possession of the girls’ boarding school which I myself have established and organised, with all the necessary provisions and an annual income in the town of Brăila, within this Orthodox region of the Principality of Wallachia.
It is to be known that this Cocora mountain is subject to an annual condition agreed with the sellers at the time of purchase: that they are to be paid one hundred lei on the feast day of the holy prophet Elijah, as the deed stipulates. And this condition, insofar as it concerns the half-share belonging to Ciucă Fotescu, Gheorghe son of Vasile Fotescu and Stan Rădescu, among the sellers of the mountain, was settled by the loan I granted them of five hundred lei, as shown in their deed, which was drawn up on 12 April in the year 1841, and that deed is also to be appended to this bequest, the interest on that sum—fifty lei—being deemed, in accordance with the custom of this country, to constitute their half-share of the said condition. As for the remaining sum of fifty lei, until the condition of one hundred lei is fulfilled, it shall be paid annually on the due date, following the execution of the deed of purchase for the mountain, to the other sellers, who are specifically named and have signedthat deed; however, should the undersigned, whilst he remains alive, fail to facilitate any transaction with them in any manner whatsoever, and to settle this liability, the sum shall be fifty lei.
Therefore, for my eternal remembrance and that of my parents at this aforementioned holy church, the honourable Board of Trustees and he, the honourable head of the Greek community in the city of Sibiu, are earnestly requested to ensure, underthe undersigned executor, that fifty silver florins, from whatever the income of this estate may be from time to time, be set aside each year and for all time, to be used to hold a memorial service at this holy church, on the anniversary of my burial, whenever Providence may decree, or on the Saturday closest to that day, which shall be deemed the annual anniversary of the undersigned legatee’s burial; however, as the mountain is now under the jurisdiction of the holy church, therefore the sum of fifty silver florins for the annual memorial service shall be deposited with the honourable Board of Trustees and shall be kept in safe custody, secured and invested to bear interest until the time of my funeral. And then it shall be distributed, with five offerings first being given to the Holy Orthodox Churches: twenty sfanțihi for each offering, and the remainder shall be spent on the memorial service, as I have stated and ordered above; this memorial service is to be conducted by the local bishop, who shall read the great prayers for the forgiveness of the soul, with priests, candles and all that is necessary, in accordance with Orthodox law, whilst the remainder of the mountain’s annual income shall be spent in perpetuity for the upkeep and maintenance of the holy church.
Therefore, to ensure the eternal validity of this bequest, having signed it with my own hand, I have also affixed my seal to the documents witnessed by the boyars whose signatures appear below; likewise, I have petitioned His Eminence the Archbishop of Ungrovlahia in this Principality to grant the lawful ratification of this bequest, with His Eminence’s signature and the seal of the Holy Metropolis, all for the greater certainty and eternal strength of the provisions contained in this bequest.
This deed was drawn up today, 1 January, in the year 7358 since the creation of the world 55, and 1850 since the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ 57.
Crisanq arc. Penέthj bebaiî58
† `O Mhtropol…thj LibÚhj Kall…stratoj m£rtuj59
‘Archimandrite Ag…aj of the Sarantar…ou Monastery’60
† ‘O ‘Agaqonike…aj GrhgÒrioj’61
† ‘Palmiraj ‘Aqanasioj’62
† ‘Archimandrite Dionisie’ 63.
BAR, Manuscripts–Rare Books, Seal 608.
Romanian original, laid paper, the archimandrite’s seal in red wax, in a metal capsule, suspended from the mount by a twisted thread of blue and yellow silk. Above the text, in the centre, is depicted, in coloured inks, the icon of the Transfiguration, framed within a medallion flanked by two angels and floral motifs, which continue downwards from the frontispiece, forming a border around the entire document. At the end of the document is the archimandrite’s seal, a hanging, round seal in red wax, preserved in a metal capsule: in the centre is a round shield bearing a cross, and the shield is flanked by an open crown with five fleurons; the shield is supported by two rampant lions as supporters, and in the exergue, in Romanian, written in Cyrillic script, it reads: Archimandrite Hrisant Peneti and Knight. Below the shield, extending to the exergue, within the sigillate field, a cross and the honours received are depicted.
Appendix 2
The Metropolitanate of Ouggroblacie certifies 51
Signed by Archimandrite Chrysanthos 50, born into the Peneti family 50, on the island known as Andros in the Greek state, having observed the condition and dilapidation of the holy nunnery known as Ciorăgârla and Samurcășești 52 in Ilfov County 52, where the feast of the Holy Trinity 52 is celebrated, I have carefully considered that from my rightful inheritance, which the merciful God has deigned to bestow upon me in this Orthodox Principality of Wallachia, where I have lived for a long time, and as a small contribution towards the annual expenses of the holy church, to bequeath, by this bequest, a storehouse 64 in the port of Brăila 55, on the banks of the Danube. This warehouse shall remain in perpetuity under the ownership of the holy hermitage, subject to the following condition:
Article 1: two hundred lei 57 (from whatever income this warehouse may yield from time to time) shall be set aside each year as a reserve for the upkeep of this warehouse, whenever the need arises. The funds for this reserve shall be secured by the pious abbess of this holy hermitage, with the knowledge and confirmation, each year, of three other nuns, namely the treasurer and two cantors, so that should the abbess pass away or be transferred from this holy hermitage at any time, the contents of this reserve may remain known and in safe keeping. So that the handover may take place without hindrance to the other pious abbesses who shall again take up residence at this holy hermitage, proceeding in this manner and without any deviation.
Article 2: Two-thirds of the storehouse’s income shall be used to assist the holy hermitage with its annual expenses, in perpetuity. And the third part, whatever the amount may be from time to time (the total of which shall be known to all the nuns of the holy hermitage), shall be spent on a memorial service each year, for the eternal remembrance of myself and my parents, on the day of my burial, whenever Providence may decree, or on whichever Saturday falls closest to that day. However, with half of this third part, the necessary candles are to be purchased and distributed at the memorial service to the priests, the cantors and the other nuns; the coliva and other offerings 56, in accordance with the honour and observance of our Orthodox law, whilst the other half shall be divided into two parts: one part for the priest and the cantors, and one part for the other nuns and servants residing in the holy hermitage.
Article 3: Should it ever happen, God forbid, that this holy nunnery is dissolved, under whatever pretext, then this bequest shall become entirely void, and the storehouse shall pass into the possession of the girls’ boarding school which I have established and provided for by a special bequest in the town of Brăila, to contribute to its improvement and endowment, without the political or ecclesiastical authorities having any right or power to appropriate the income from these storehouses for any other hermitage or monastery.
To this end, and as a permanent record of this enduring bequest, a copy of this deed has been deposited with the honourable magistrate of the town of Brăila, alongside the separate deed pertaining to the establishment of the pension fund in the same town.
Therefore, to ensure the eternal validity of this bequest, having signed it with my own hand and affixed my seal in the presence of the witnesses listed below, whose signatures you may see, I have also specifically requested the Holy Metropolis of Ungrovlahia 55 to grant the lawful ratification, so that the provisions drawn up from my good and true intention may be upheld unshakeably.
This bequest was drawn up today, 1 January, in the year 7358 52 since the creation of the world, and 1850 55 since the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Crisanq arch. Penέthj bebaiî65
† `O Mhtropol…thj LibÚhj Kall…stratoj m£rtuj59
‘Archimandrite Ag…aj of the Sarantar…ou Monastery’60
† ‘O ‘Agaqonike…aj GrhgÒrioj’61
† ‘Palmiraj ‘Aqanasioj’66
† ‘Archimandrite Dionisie’ 67.
ANIC, Seal Collection, Seal 104.
Romanian original, on paper.
Above the text, in the centre, in coloured inks and gold liquid, is depicted the icon of the Holy Trinity, in a medallion, flanked by two angels, each holding a garland of flowers, which form the border of the document. At the end of the document, the archimandrite’s seal—a round seal in red wax, preserved in a metal capsule—is attached to the document with a twisted cord of blue and yellow silk.
- 1
Library of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest (BAR), Manuscripts – Rare Books, Seal 608.
- 2
Central National Historical Archives (ANIC), Seal Collection, Seal 104.
- 3
ANIC, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Instruction (MCIP), 89/1852.
- 4
The will stipulated that, upon his death, a memorial service should be held for him at the Church of Saints Michael and Gabriel the Archangels in Brăila, in accordance with all the requirements of the Orthodox rite, that white wax candles be distributed, that the church bells be rung, and that money be sent to other churches in the town, so that he might be commemorated for forty days. Gabriel Cocora, ‘Further News about Archimandrite Hrisant Hurezeanul’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, XV, 1963, nos. 9–10, p. 798.
- 5
For information on the consecration of the church, see ANIC, MCIP, 48/1843.
- 6
T. G. Bulat, ‘A renowned abbot of Hurez Monastery: Hrisant Penetis (10 October 1832–30 March 1852)’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, XIV (1962), no. 7–9, p. 440.
- 7
See Victor Brătulescu, ‘Gheorghe-Gherontie, the Painter and Singer’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, XIV (1962), no. 1–2, pp. 23–39; T. G. Bulat, ‘Inscriptions from the churches of Oltenia’, in Arhivele Olteniei, I, 1922, nos. 2–3, p. 244.
- 8
Oana-Mădălina Popescu, ‘The thieves who murdered the abbess of Surpate have been identified. Further details on the history of a murder’, Parts I and II, in Martyria, (2018), no. 2, pp. 78–90.
- 9
Hrisant’s letter to the Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs was published by G. D. Iscru, ‘From the Deeds of Archimandrite Hrisant Hurezeanu’, in The Romanian Orthodox Church, LXXXVII (1969), nos. 5–6, pp. 584–587.
- 10
Fr. Gabriel Cocora, Further News about Archimandrite Hrisant Hurezeanul..., p. 798.
- 11
Constantin Bălan, ‘The 1846 portrait of Hrisant Penetis, abbot of Horezu Monastery’, in Revista Istorică, IX, (1998), no. 3–4, p. 125; Radu Popica, ‘The Work of the Painter Isidor Neugass in Brașov’, in Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai. Historia Artium, LX, (2015), no. 1, pp. 39–48.
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BAR, Manuscripts – Rare Books, Seal 608.
- 13
Greek activity flourished in Transylvania following the privilege granted to them in 1636 by Prince Gh. Rakoczi I, followed by that of Leopold I, Emperor of Austria, at the beginning of the 18th century. Alongside their commercial activities, which were regulated by the company, the Greeks supported, particularly through their centres in Brașov and Sibiu, cultural life and the Orthodox faith in the region, maintaining close links with monastic centres in Greece, on Mount Athos, from where priests, teachers and scholars would regularly visit, bringing with them important books and manuscripts. Despina-Irini Tsourka-Papastathi, The Greek Trading Company in Sibiu, Transylvania, 1636–1848. Organisation and Law, trans. Olga Cicanci, Bucharest, Omonia Publishers, 2016, p. 67.
- 14
At first, the congregation in Sibiu did not have a church of its own and was forced to hold services in various places, even in houses they rented; in 1690 they were granted permission to build a church, but it was situated on the outskirts of the town. Construction of the church dedicated to the Transfiguration (which was also dedicated to St Athanasius of Alexandria, the community’s patron saint) began in 1797 and was completed in 1800, but in 1902 it was demolished, and the current Metropolitan Cathedral of Sibiu was erected on the site. Athanasios E. Karathanasis, Hellenism in Transylvania, trans. from the French by Anca Dobre, Bucharest, Omonia Publishers, 2003, p. 94.
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BAR, Manuscripts and Rare Books, Seal 608.
- 16
At that time, Bishop Andrei Șaguna was campaigning to remove the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania from the jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Carlowitz and to re-establish the Metropolis of Transylvania, which had been abolished in 1701. Fr. Mircea Păcurariu, History of the Romanian Orthodox Church, vol. 3, Bucharest, EIBMBOR, 1997, p. 91.
- 17
Nifon Rusăilă, at that time vicar of the Metropolis of Ungrovlahia following Neofit’s resignation, and provisional administrator of the Diocese of Râmnic. He served as metropolitan from 1850 to 1865, and as metropolitan-primate from 1865 to 1875. Fr. Niculae Șerbănescu, ‘The Metropolitans of Ungrovlahia’, in The Romanian Orthodox Church, (1959), nos. 7–10, p. 813.
- 18
Athanasie Palmyras ordained Nifon Rusăilă as a bishop in 1843. Fr. Niculae Șerbănescu, The Metropolitans of Ungrovlahia..., p. 814; See also ANIC, MCIP, 52/1852.
- 19
We would like to thank Professor Ion Marian Croitoru, PhD, for his assistance in transcribing and translating the Greek signatures on the two wills included in the appendices.
- 20
Zănoaga – a circular depression with steep slopes in high mountain areas; a green glade, plateau or hillside, suitable for agriculture. Explanatory Dictionary of the Romanian Language (DEX), published by Univers Enciclopedic, Bucharest, 1998, p. 1181.
- 21
Groapa – cf. Alb. grope. DEX..., p. 436; curmătura – a depression or hollow on the crest of a hill, from curma – cf. Alb. kurmue. DEX..., p. 252.
- 22
Where, in some cases, a clearing may have been created for agricultural purposes. These are proper names, but they are derived from common nouns with different etymologies, which reflect the distinctive features of certain landforms.
- 23
Dionisie of Furna, Erminia of Byzantine Painting, Bucharest, Sophia Publishers, 2000, p. 109.
- 24
BAR, Manuscripts–Rare Books, Seal 608.
- 25
Dionisie of Furna, Erminia of Byzantine Painting..., p. 109.
- 26
Constantine Cavarnos, A Guide to Byzantine Iconography, translated from English by Anca Popescu; edited by Ștefan-Ionescu Berechet, Bucharest, Sophia Publishing, 2005, p. 90: Orthodox theology emphasises that this light is uncreated, eternal and divine; it is the energy (enérgeia) of the Godhead, which is not created, as the Eastern Church teaches.
- 27
Constantine Cavarnos, A Guide to Byzantine Iconography..., p. 88: “Specifically, only Christ, Moses and Elijah have halos in the icons depicting the Transfiguration. In others, the disciples also have haloes. However, this is not appropriate, because they are not yet saints—persons filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit—as is clearly seen from the fact that they were unable to gaze upon the divine Light any longer, but were blinded and fell to the ground”. In traditional Byzantine paintings, the apostles were not usually depicted with haloes, nor were they in manuscripts. See, for example, the 14th-century miniature of the Transfiguration from the manuscript of John VI Cantacuzene, held at the National Library in Paris. Dimitri Obolenski, A Medieval Commonwealth: Byzantium, Bucharest, Corint Publishers, 2002, p. 352.
- 28
Constantine Cavarnos, A Guide to Byzantine Iconography..., p. 208.
- 29
BAR, Manuscripts – Rare Books, Ms. rom. 2292, f. 1 v. The Transfiguration appears in the Memorial Book of the Church of Cacova, in Vâlcea County, a manuscript written and illuminated by Pahomie at Bistrița Monastery in 1832. Furthermore, the Transfiguration is depicted, in polychrome and with liquid gold, in the Slavonic manuscript known as the Sucevița 24 Tetraevangelion, dating from the late 16th century, donated to the monastery by Ieremia Movilă, preserved at Sucevița Monastery in Moldova and renowned for its 346 miniatures. In the Gospel of Luke, we encounter this iconographic theme, where all the figures are depicted with haloes. The Tetraevangelion illustrated with 346 miniatures, ed. Stavrofora Mihaela Cozmei, Sucevița Monastery, 2016, p. 197. In a sketch from the late 18th century, from Radu Zugravu’s sketchbook of painting models (Romanian Manuscript 4602 at the BAR), apart from Christ, none of the figures has a halo. Radu Zugravu, Sketchbooks, ed. Gabriela Dumitrescu, Bucharest, Ed. Excelență prin Cultură, 2018, p. 112.
- 30
BAR, Manuscripts – Rare Books, CRV 1232, p. 501, Antologhion, printed in Moldavia during the time of Veniamin Costachi. The Transfiguration appears as an engraving, signed by Ghervasie.
- 31
Oana-Mădălina Popescu, ‘God is marvellous in His saints. Holy images in ancient Romanian manuscripts’, Bucharest, Dinasty Books Publishing and Printing House, 2020, p. 266.
- 32
See Dimitri Obolenski, A Medieval Commonwealth: Byzantium, Bucharest, Corint, 2002.
- 33
Historical Atlas of Orthodox Monasteries and Hermitages in Romania, 11th–21st Centuries, edited by Hieromonk Marcu Petcu, Bucharest, National Library of Romania, 2010, pp. 103, 8, 117.
- 34
Poverty. Augustin Scriban, Dictionary of the Romanian Language, Bucharest, Saeculum Publishers, 2013, p. 1167.
- 35
Meremet – repair. Augustin Scriban, Dictionary of the Romanian Language..., p. 798.
- 36
Paraclisiera. Augustin Scriban, Dictionary of the Romanian Language..., p. 303.
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ANIC, Seal Collection, Seal 104.
- 38
Constantine Cavarnos, A Guide to Byzantine Iconography..., p. 164.
- 39
Constantine Cavarnos, A Guide to Byzantine Iconography..., p. 160.
- 40
Which we will highlight in the work currently being edited.
- 41
Oana-Mădălina Popescu, ‘God is marvellous in His saints. Holy images in ancient Romanian manuscripts…’, p. 290.
- 42
BAR, Manuscripts–Rare Books, Ms. rom. 2956: Book of Prayers to the Mother of God, Râșca Monastery, 1805, f. 7, icon of the Holy Trinity. In Ms. rom. 4602, Radu Zugravu’s sketchbooks from the late 18th century, the Holy Trinity is depicted in both forms. See Radu Zugravu, Sketchbooks..., pp. 17, 22, 48. In the manuscript register of Radu-Vodă Monastery in Bucharest, dated 1794, the Holy Trinity is depicted as follows: the Father (on the right-hand side of the image), as an old man with white hair and a long white beard, blessing the Son, Christ (on the left), with the Holy Spirit above them in the form of a white dove with outstretched wings. The haloes are depicted as rays of light. ANIC, Ms. 256, f. 1.
- 43
BAR, Manuscripts – Rare Books, CRV 227 (Octoechos, Râmnic, 1742), f. 3v, 23v; CRV 256 (Liturgy Book, Râmnic, 1747), f. 50: The Holy Trinity is depicted with the Holy Spirit represented as a dove. And in CRV 345 (Anthologion, Râmnic, 1766), the title page; CRV 415 (Menaion for November, Râmnic, 1778), the title page; and CRV 359 (Pentecostarion, Bucharest, 1768), the title page, it appears in the form of Abraham’s Hospitality, indeed in its complete form, with Abraham and Sarah depicted behind the table. Also as The Hospitality of Abraham (but with the distinctive feature that the figures are each holding the Holy Cross), we find it on a Minei for December, printed in Râmnicu-Vâlcea in 1862, on the title page.
- 44
Each with its own unique details.
- 45
The Historical Atlas of Orthodox Monasteries and Hermitages in Romania, 11th–21st centuries..., pp. 80, 103, 117.
- 46
With the exception that they are not manuscripts, church registers or printed works.
- 47
BAR, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Historical Documents, CCCLXIII/33.
- 48
As is the case with the wills of the Greek merchant Hagi Dimitrie Papazoglu, which were ratified by royal decrees.
- 49
This is how Chesarie, the ecclesiarch of Hurezi, described Hrisant Penetis in the speech he gave on the occasion of the consecration of Bucovățul Nou Monastery on 2 May 1843. T. G. Bulat, A Famous Abbot of Hurez Monastery: Hrisant Penetis (10 October 1832–30 March 1852)..., p. 440.
- 50a50b50c
Written in gold ink.
- 51a51b
Autograph.
- 52a52b52c52d52e52f52g
Written in Chinovar.
- 53
Cezaro-Crăiești.
- 54
Written in Chinese ink, with gold liquid along the margins.
- 55a55b55c55d55e55f55g
Written in Chinovan.
- 56a56b
The others.
- 57a57b
Written in Chinese.
- 58
Archimandrite Penetis certifies. Handwritten signature, in Greek.
- 59a59b
Calistrat, Metropolitan of Libya, witness. Autograph signature, in Greek.
- 60a60b
The Archimandrite of the Holy Monastery of Sărindar, witness. Autograph signature, in Greek.
- 61a61b
Gregory of Agatonikia, witness. Autograph signature, in Greek.
- 62
Athanasios of Palmyra, witness. Autograph signature, in Greek.
- 63
Archimandrite Dionsie, witness. The name is written in Latin characters. We would like to thank Professor Ion Marian Croitoru, PhD, for his assistance in transcribing and translating the Greek signatures on both of Hrisant Penetis’s wills.
- 64
Written in Chinois.
- 65
Archimandrite Penetis certifies this. Handwritten signature, in Greek.
- 66
Athanasios of Palmira, witness, autograph signature, in Greek.
- 67
Archimandrite Dionysius, martyr. The name is written in Latin characters.