The hermitage at Pietrari, founded by Bishop Climent of Râmnic

280 years ago, His Grace Climent, Bishop of Râmnic (1735–1749), together with his brothers – the priest Mihu and Simion Vătășelu – a small monastic settlement dedicated to the Annunciation, on the right bank of the Otăsău stream, at a place called ‘Pajiștea’, in his native village of Pietrarii de Jos (Pietrari commune, Vâlcea County).

The Church of the ‘Annunciation’1 was built on his family’s estate in the year 1742, on the site of an older wooden church, with Ilarion, the proigumen of Bistrița Monastery—a man of exceptional qualities in whom the Vâlcea hierarch had great trust2—supervising the works.

Above the entrance door, the founder had the following inscription carved into the stone in Cyrillic script: “†This holy and divine church, in which the feasts of the Most Holy[in] the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, which was built from its very foundations out of the good will and at the full expense of the reverend Father, Bishop Climent of Râmnicu-Noul-Severin, during the reign of the most enlightened lord, Io Mihai Racoviță, Voivode, in the year 7250 [1742], on the 26th day of the month of August, whilst Ilarion, the mayor of[of] Bistrița3 as steward, as well as a certain Dosoftei, a hieromonk 4.

The following text was carved into the wooden edge of the entrance door: “At this holy church, Ilarion, a hieromonk and proigum[in] Bistrița, Priest Miu, and the hieromonk Dosoftei ‘1744’5”.

The church was built of brick and stone, with a rectangular plan and a polygonal altar apse on the exterior, without any towers. The porch is supported by eight columns, and the supporting arches for the central dome are reinforced with wooden tie-rods. From the outset, the church had an oak shingle roof; in 1910 it was re-roofed with tiles, and in 1936 with fir shingles. At present, the village church has a sheet-metal roof.

The church floor is paved with large stone slabs and is surrounded by a stone wall 1.50 metres high. It is known that a cemetery operated within the churchyard until 1927, when the village parishioners established another one outside the churchyard wall (on the southern side).

The Church of the Annunciation was consecrated without any frescoes; these were not painted until two years later, in 1744, using the fresco technique, by the painter Popa Gheorghe and his brother Andrei, and Danciu Filip, an apprentice, whose names can be read on the proskomidia table and the iconostasis (next to the patronal icon): “Remember, O Lord: the painters, Popa Gheorghie, Andrei, his brother, [and] Danciu Filip; 7253[1744]”6

The original painting, executed in the purest post-Brâncoveanu style, can still be seen today, despite the thick layer of soot that has accumulated on the walls over the years. Above the entrance, the patronal icon depicting the Mother of God receiving the glorious tidings from the Archangel Gabriel has been painted. The artistic representation adheres to the canons of Byzantine iconography. It can be seen that the Archangel’s feet are wide apart, as if he were running. In his left hand he holds a staff, the symbol of a messenger. His right hand, in a powerful gesture, reaches out towards the Virgin Mary. He conveys to her the joyful news from his Lord, the mystery of God’s providence. The Mother of God receives the news whilst standing and holds a spindle in her hand. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, is depicted descending upon the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the radiance of divine glory. On her shoulders and head, the Mother of God wears three little stars, as a sign of her perpetual virginity: before, during and after the birth of her Son.

The founder’s votive painting is located in the narthex, painted on the western wall, with the inscription: ‘Climent, Bishop of Râmnic’, and depicts him looking younger and more realistic than in the painting at the Diocesan Infirmary 7; with a black beard and moustache, large, expressive eyes betraying a remarkable liveliness, a well-proportioned build and the hieratic features characteristic of Hesychast saints: a gaunt face, the result of the rigours of fasting. He is clad in a pleated cloak with green and red stripes. On his head he wears a mitre and a black camilafca. In his right hand he holds the bishop’s crozier, which ends at the top with two serpents facing each other, their heads touching, a symbol of the bishop’s wisdom, whilst in his left hand he holds the church’s ark, from the side of the porch. At the opposite end, the little church is supported by the other founder, ‘Macarie the hieromonk, brother of Bishop Climent’. Next to him is painted Ioan, his brother, and at the bottom is Nicolae, his son. In his book, Bishop Athanasie Mironescu also mentions the painted portraits of Bishop Popa Mihu’s brothers, Mihu and Simeon Vătășelul, together with his two sons. On the south wall is depicted ‘Io Constandin Nicolae voivode’ (Constantin Mavrocordat, ruler of Wallachia from July 1744 to April 1748).

Upon completion of the painting, a new inscription was painted on the west wall of the narthex, above the entrance door to the church:

‘Jesus Sirach writes, saying: “Simon, son of Onias, the high priest, who in his lifetime built the house and in his days strengthened the church, and shone like a star through the clouds[i] and like the full light and like the sun, illuminating the church of the Most High’. Likewise, it is fitting to say of this archpriest, Climent, Bishop of Râmnic, who in his lifetime and during his days built houses and erected churches, including this holy church, where the Annunciation is honoured and celebrated, which he built from its very foundations and adorned with frescoes, together with his brother, the priest Mihul, who, having taken the monastic vows, was named Macarei the hieromonk, for the everlasting remembrance of them, their parents and their entire lineage. This father was later appointed Bishop Clement of the Diocese of Râmnic, as recorded in the episcopal chronicles. And the work on this holy church was finally completed during the reign of the most enlightened lord, Ioan Constandin Nicolae Voivode, in the year 7253, in October[i] 20. The painters were Priest Gheorghe and his brother, Andrei I Danciul Filipu; 1744”8.

In the porch there is an iconographic masterpiece depicting scenes from Heaven and Hell, exactly as in the Brâncoveanu foundation at Hurezi. Here, too, one can admire the artistically carved door featuring Brâncoveanu motifs.

After building the monks’ hermitage at Pietrari, Bishop Climent endowed it with all the necessary books and furnishings, as well as vineyards and estates, and initially dedicated it to the Holy Monastery of Bistrița, as can be seen in the charter of Prince Mihai Racoviță, dated 10 February 1743: ‘[…] And once they had completed all the building work and furnished it with the necessary provisions, by divine inspiration His Holiness decided to grant it anddedicate it to the Holy Monastery of Bistrița, His Holiness having settled all matters concerning the hermitage in the deed of dedication”. The deed of donation by Voivode Mihai Racoviță granted the hermitage the princely vineyard on Troian Hill, along with 28 townspeople from the ‘market town of Râmnic’9 Prince Grigore Ghica exempted the monks from taxes (tithes and royal revenues) and granted them four servants for their ministry (12 September 1749) 10.

These grants were also confirmed by the princes who would subsequently ascend the throne of Wallachia: Matei Ghica Voivode (13 October 1752), Constantin Racoviță (15 November 1753), Alexandru Ipsilanti (18 September 1775) and Nicolae Constantin Caragea (7 September 1782). However, it appears that Bishop Climent became convinced that his hermitage “would be better protected and administered under the Diocese than under Bistrița Monastery, where Greek monks would have been encroaching more and more, whohad no other aim than to plunder these holy ancestral settlements of their possessions’11

In the deed of dedication, dated 24 March 1747, the high prelate announced its transformation into a metochion of the Diocese of Râmnic:

“[…] Following this custom, I too, in all humility, resolved to build a stone metochion on my estate at Pietrari and to dedicate it to the Holy Diocese of Râmnic, and having reflected on this and realised that I would not be able to carry out my plan, due to the unrest that had occurred in this country—the Turks having burnt down this Holy Diocese, and with all the houses and the church having collapsed, I was pondering where I should begin work. Therefore, as we still had two brothers, namely: Popa Mihul of Pietrari and Simion Vătășel from there, I told them how my heart’s desire was to build a holy church on our estate in Pietrari, but the funds were not sufficient. So, as they were of the same mind as I, they encouraged me, and we all set to work and ensured that the holy church and the houses beside it were built, and we adorned the holy church with frescoes, vestments, books and sacred vessels, together with my brothers, and we dedicated it to the descendants of my aforementioned brothers, provided that the priests serving at that church shall pay to the Holy Diocese of Râmnic three oca of wax annually as a token of devotion, and that those priests and a young monk from the Holy Diocese of Râmnic shall reside there. And that monk’s food, clothing and upkeep shall be provided from the income of the estate—my share of the inheritance and purchase, together with the vineyards as they have been determined and selected. Furthermore, the Holy Diocese shall have no right to lay claim to anything belonging to the church, nor to appoint other priests who are not of the lineage I have mentioned above. For everything I have done and given to this holy church is all the fruit of my own labour, earned through the pectoral cross and the work of my brothers; and let no one think that I have placed any value whatsoever on the Bishopric’s income, for however great the diocese’s income might have been, it would still not have been enough for me, given the plunder, ruin and destruction to which the diocese had fallen, as is known to all12

On 20 December 1743, His Grace Climent erected a stone cross, also in honour of the ‘Annunciation’, on ‘Dealul Mare’ (the village of Pietrarii de Sus), on the estate of the logothete Ioniță Pietrarul:

“By the will of the Father, with the help of the Son, and through the fulfilment of the Holy Spirit. This holy cross was erected on the feast day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God, through the efforts of the God-loving Bishop Climent[l] of Râmnic, a native of the village of Pietrari, during the reign of his lord, Io Mihai Racoviță, voivode, on 29 December 7252 [1743]”13.

In the year 1746, Metropolitan Neofit I of Wallachia, whilst on a visit to the monasteries and hermitages in the county of Vâlcea, also arrived at the foundation of His Eminence Climent in Pietrari, where he stayed for three days (30 July – 1 August), and even celebrated the Divine Liturgy in this church on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Maccabees (1 August 1746): ‘On Wednesday 30 July, we arrived in the evening at an estate belonging to Bishop Climent called Pietrarii, where he has a stone house and a stone church, and we remained there on Thursday 31 July’14

On 4 March 1751, approximately two years before his death, Bishop Climent wrote his autobiography, in which he bequeathed to his nephews—the sons of his brothers – Priest Nicolae, son of Priest Simion, and Priest Gheorghe, son of Priest Mihul of Pietrari – a share each of his possessions and a third of the hermitage at Pietrari. He states that, as all men grow old, he is making this arrangement so that it may be known who will inherit what share. In his will, the Vâlcea hierarch also mentions that he is descended from Dumitru Modoran of Pietrari, who had four sons, namely Ivan, who had no heirs; Radu, who is his father and the father of his brothers, Oprea, who had Constantin and Ion, of whom Deacon Ștefan and his brothers are still alive. The hermitage also inherited a share of the vineyards at Sutești, an estate at Piscăești and a mill at Folești. The Bishop also decreed that the income from the hermitage should be used to repair the wooden church at Siliștea Veche in Pietrari, ‘which he had built when he was neither abbot nor bishop’. He appointed Popa Mihul, his nephew, as trustee for the hermitage’s assets, the church and its outbuildings, together with the surrounding land, and instructed him to provide for the poor, as should his successors after him, ‘so that nothing should go to their own households’15

In the Archives of Râmnicu-Vâlcea there is a document by Bishop Climent drawn up towards the end of his life (31 January 1753), at a time when he stated that he was the Bishop of Râmnic, in which he declares that he appoints his nephew, Popa Mihul, and his other nephew, Popa Nicolae, as trustees of the hermitage and the church, with authority over whatever may be found in his wake. And all the inherited and purchased estates are to be divided into three parts: two are to be held by the hermitage at Pietrari; the vineyard at Troianu and the inn at Țigănia Coziei he bequeaths to his nephew Popa Nicolae, whilst the inn at the entrance to the town shall be bequeathed to the Diocese of 16.

From several documents relating to the village of Pietrarii de Jos, we learn the names of two priests of the hermitage: Grigorie and Simion, on 24 May 176417.

In the year 1770, a silversmith named Panait fashioned a silver chalice for Manu, the nephew of Bishop Climent, which he donated to the Church of the Annunciation in Pietrarii de Jos 18. The following text was engraved on the holy chalice: “These holy vessels from times past have perished, and now this one has been made by Deacon Manu, the nephew of His Most Reverend Father Climent. Silver chalice. 1770’19.

The document dated 5 February 1792, issued by the Diocese of Râmnic, following a petition by Deacon Manu of Pietrari after his death, stipulated that his son, Petre, should take up the post of steward at the Pietrari Hermitage. He was obliged to embellish the buildings at the hermitage, as Bishop Filaret had commanded 20.

On 5 November 1795, Popa Petre of Pietrari reached an agreement with his paternal uncles—the sons of his grandfather Nicolae, the son of Simion the steward (the brother of Bishop Climent)—and with his uncle Radu, the son of Popa Gheorghe, son of Popa Mihul, regarding the Pietrari Hermitage, to jointly administer the small estates at Pietrari, Văleni and Păușești-Otăsău, as well as the tithes of the church at Pietrari. By the consent of the signatories to the deed, it was decreed that Popa Petre21 should serve as the trustee of the church and the buildings founded by Bishop Climent.

In a register dating from 1834, we find the names of the priests who were serving at that time at the Church of the Annunciation: Gligore Costandin Foltea, Costandin Popa Nicolae, Nicolae Alexandru, Costandin, and Deacon Ion Popescu of22.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in Pietrarii de Jos, one could still see the stone buildings surrounding the church, built by Bishop Climent for the monks’ use23. Today, only a few remains of the old structures can still be seen, on the south and east sides, beyond the enclosure wall.

Virgiliu Drăghiceanu visited Bishop Climent’s foundation on 6 September 1909 and recorded in his report what he found at Pietrari. In addition to transcribing the inscriptions and the gravestone, he describes the house built by the bishop around the church: ‘Here, too, we must say something about Bishop Climent’s house in Pietrarii de Jos, with thick walls (0.60 m) which, over a total length of 14 m, house a series of rooms, two of which retain their original character (5.40 × 2.95 – 3.50 × 2.60) with dome vaults supported by five pendentives (which rose from the corners and the centres of the walls), small windows (0.95 × 0.90) and a porch at the front’24

In the 1880s and 1910–1911, repairs were carried out on the church and a new tiled roof was fitted. In 1934 and 1963, the building was reinforced with an iron belt above the middle belt, and a roof of fir shingles was added (November 1963)25.

The archives of the Vâlcea County Directorate for Culture contain an inventory of the movable and immovable property of the Church of the Annunciation in Pietrarii de Jos, drawn up on 1 April 1972. It lists the areas of the land on which the church (140 square metres) and the bell tower (16 square metres) are built, the churchyard (1,100 square metres) and the village cemetery, which accommodates 60 families (1,000 square metres). The land for the church and courtyard was donated by Bishop Climent, whilst the remainder was donated by the village parishioners. At that time, the church held 16 cultural heritage books dating from the 18th century (including the ‘Gospel’ of 1746, printed by Bishop Climent) and 11 books from the 19th century. It also held the following religious artefacts: an old carved wooden cross (18th century, belonging to Bishop Climent), five 18th-century icons (Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, St Nicholas, the Annunciation, 2 copies) and one from 1846 (the Mother of God). Also listed are: a chalice, a paten, a thalisman, a metal cross, a cloth epitaph and a gravestone, all from the 18th century. According to the same inventory, the church bell, made of a metal alloy, dates from 1958. Also mentioned are a number of liturgical objects and books dating from after 1900. The document is signed by the parish priest at that time, Ion Tuțu, and by Ion Bîzîc, as a member of the inventory commission 26.

It is known that the rubble-stone wall surrounding the monastic complex was repaired in 1959 27. Four years later, two concrete buttresses were added in the area of the altar apse.

In the past, the church had a wooden belfry above the gate at the entrance to the compound. As this had fallen into disrepair, the bell was temporarily moved between two pillars on the church porch, on the north side. In 1957, the congregation built a new brick bell tower in the north-west corner of the churchyard wall, which can still be seen today. It is known that the old bell from Climent cracked and was melted down, and in 1958 a new one was purchased10).

In 1976, the parish priest at the Pietrari-Bârlog parish (Stoenești commune) was Gheorghe Manu (from 1974 to 1995) and the cantor was Constantin Pasăre 28. From 1995 to the present day, the parish priest has been Ionel Iorgulescu.

Work on the refurbishment, consolidation and restoration of the church – a listed building – began in May 2007, funded by the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing through the National Investment Company SA. The cost of the works amounted to 767,787 RON. In July 2010, the final handover took place upon completion of the works 29. Through this article, I would like to express my gratitude to Senator Gheorghe Necula, Mayor Nicolae Moraru and all those who contributed to the restoration of this valuable cultural heritage site.

However, the historic monument is still in urgent need of restoration work on the frescoes inside the church. Furthermore, work is required on the drainage system, which is not functioning properly; as a result, damp is causing mould to grow.

The team of archaeologists who carried out the preventive archaeological survey during the consolidation works and the installation of the external drainage system (2007–2008) uncovered the tomb on the right-hand side of the church’s narthex. Beneath the tombstone lay the mortal remains of Bishop Climent’s brother, the monk Macarie (Mihu), one of the church’s founders, who fell asleep in the Lord in the year 1743. In order to examine the tomb and return the tombstone to its original location, a perpendicular trench was dug. The brick-built, vaulted tomb measured: L=2.10 m, W=0.69 m. The vault was probably destroyed when the gravestone was moved and the grave was disturbed, as whole and fragmentary bricks from it were found in the fill30

The tombstone of the hieromonk Macarie is framed by a floral border and bears the following inscription:

‘Beneath this stone lie the bones of the late servant of God, the priest Mihu, from here [from] Pe[trari], Râm[n]ic, who [at the] end [of] his life, having taken the monastic vows, was named Macarie, hieromonk; who [even at] the beginning of the[first] church here in the meadow, [until it was completed] and consecrated, he showed great zeal and made great efforts. And after they had finished [the work], they were consecrated, in the days of the illustrious lord, Io Miha[il] Racoviț[ă] Voivode, [on] 28 March, in the year 72[51] [1743]”31.

Near the brick-built tomb, in the northern corner, the remains of another person were found in a secondary position. It is known that, in the porch, on the left, there used to be a gravestone, which was disturbed during the repairs in 1911. A certain ‘Lady Zinca’ is said to have been buried there. That gravestone no longer exists today, as the porch floor is now paved with stone slabs, just like the interior. It is possible that the remains of the late Mrs Zinca were placed next to the founder’s walled grave.

Experts from the County Museum also assisted with the digging of a drainage ditch near the church, where dozens of graves dating back hundreds of years were discovered, the existence of which nobody was aware of. The remains of the local inhabitants of Pietrari were given a Christian burial in the churchyard.

As mentioned above, the founder of the Hermitage at Pietrarii de Jos was Climent, Bishop of Râmnic (1735–1749). He came from a family of peasants from this very village32 It is said that Constantin (his baptismal name) was born around 1685 on Mount Buila, where his mother had found refuge from the Turkish invasions and pillaging 33. In memory of his mother and the miracle performed by the Good Lord, the bishop built a small church there, on the mountain ridge (1740), which was to give rise to an important monastic settlement – Pătrunsa Monastery (in the village of Bărbătești, Bărbătești commune).

His parents, Radu and Paraschiva Modoran, passed away when he was still very young, which is why the young Constantin chose the path of the Lord; he became a monk at Hurezi Monastery34 and went on to become abbot of Polovragi Monastery – a dependency of Hurezi – (1726–1734),35, and Bistrița (17 June 1734 – 28 June 1735)36.

Following the death of Bishop Inochentie, the joint electoral assembly of the Diocese of Râmnic, convened on 28 June 1735, elected him bishop. General Wallis recommended him to Emperor Charles VI, who confirmed him in the episcopal see on 1 October 1735 37. After repeatedly refusing to ordain Climent, Vikentije Jovanović (Vichentie Iovanovici), Metropolitan of Serbia, who wished “to increase his own ecclesiastical authority” in Oltenia, signed the document in Belgrade only on 12 April 1737. Following his ordination, which took place in May, he was sent to Sibiu to take the oath of allegiance to the Emperor before General Wallis, and was then enthroned by the Craiova Administration, following a proposal approved by the Austrian War Council 38.

In 1737, Austro-Turkish hostilities resumed and lasted for two years. The war had serious consequences for the Vâlcea region. Bishop Climent was inclined to side with the Turks in this new conflict, which is why he refused to retreat to Transylvania, as he had been advised to do by the Austrian administration. Contemporary documentary accounts mention how ‘a fierce upheaval in our land of Wallachia drove the Turkish camp past the German one, through the Olt Gorges amongst the mountains, for Toz Pasha, sent by the serasker Mehmet Pasha of Vidin, was heading towards Râmnic after 23 November. Bands of Turks and Tatars invaded the county, burning and destroying villages, setting Râmnic ablaze, stealing livestock, and taking into slavery the inhabitants they could capture, ‘causing great damage and enslavement’, whilst those who managed to escape without being taken into slavery fled through the mountains and into caves. Râmnic was set alight, resulting in “utter desolation”39

Bishop Climent took refuge in the Lotru Valley, where 3,000 Austrian soldiers were stationed. Constantin Mavrocordat, Prince of Wallachia, and Murtaza Pasha, commander of the Ottoman expeditionary force, issued, on 29 October 1737, separately, each issuing an appeal to the inhabitants of Oltenia, calling on them to submit, stating that the Turkish troops had come to drive out the enemies and ‘would unite them once more, just as it had been before’. At the request of the country’s ruler, Bishop Climent went out “to pay homage to the Turks and Tatars, and he quelled the turmoil and the bondage, and was of great service”40. It is also said that Bishop Climent spent two years in captivity under the Turks 41.

His desire to break free from Austrian rule is also evident from the open letters he addressed to his clergy and faithful, in which he urged them to fight for reunification with Wallachia: ‘to the clergy, the boyars and the inhabitants of the mountainous region in Vâlcea County to come and submit to the Turkish Empire and not to allow the catans or a few thieves to cause unrest, until spring, when the armies will clash and the outcome will be decided’42. Under the Peace of Belgrade (18 September 1739), which brought the Russo-Austro-Ottoman War to an end, the Habsburg Empire was obliged to return Oltenia, which was restored to the borders of Wallachia.

Following the end of the war, Bishop Climent rebuilt the Bishop’s Palace, which had been burnt down and destroyed by the Turks in 1739 (his foundation was to last over 100 years); between 1739 and 1749, he rebuilt the main church, along with the bell tower and the surrounding buildings, as well as the infirmary church, built from the ground up in 1745 ‘for the repose and burial of the departed and the servants of the Holy Diocese’43. In addition to rebuilding the Diocese and founding the hermitage in his native village, the Bishop of Râmnic also established the hermitages of Pătrunsa (Bărbătești) and Colnic (Moșteni-Frâncești), as well as the churches in Moșteni-Pietrarii de Sus (Pietrari), Drăgănești-Bodești (Bărbătești), Bârzești-Bodești (Bărbătești), Folești (Tomșani), the church in the Goranu neighbourhood (Râmnicu Vâlcea) and others.

I believe that no hierarch from Râmnicu Vâlcea surpasses Bishop Climent in his work as a founder of holy places, even though times were particularly harsh. However, it is not only their number that matters, but above all the architectural and artistic value of his buildings, which were inspired by the Brâncoveanu style whilst preserving the traditional local architecture.

In 1746, Climent took part in the campaign to abolish the Romanian principality undertaken by Prince Constantin Mavrocordat. The National Archives of Romania hold the document by which, on 5 August, the prince ratified the decision of the country’s Divan to free the Romanians, a document bearing the prince’s monogram and signature, validated by his octagonal seal in cinnabar, endorsed by Metropolitan Neofit of Wallachia, and bearing the signatures of the boyars of the Divan44.

Bishop Climent continued the printing work of his predecessors, publishing approximately twenty books, both religious and educational. After 1742, Râmnic became the second printing centre of Wallachia and remained so until the end of the 18th century. Climent printed many of the translations by his predecessor Damaschin (whose apprentice he had been): The Anthologion (1737 and 1745), The Octoechos (1742), the ‘Ceaslov’ (1742 and 1745), the ‘Penticostar’ (1743), the ‘Psalter’ (1743 and 1746), the ‘Gospel Book’ (1746), the ‘Apostle’ (1747), the ‘Catavasier’ (1747), the ‘Liturgy Book’ (1747) and the ‘Prayer Book’ (1747). He reprinted ‘Varlaam’s Sermon’ (1748, with some alterations); he also printed several original pamphlets: ‘Principles of Commandment for the Entire Church Community’ (1743), ‘A Brief Ecclesiastical Teaching on the Seven Sacraments’ (1746) and several pastoral letters 45.

In the preface to the ‘Gospel’ he printed in Râmnic in 1746, he addressed Lord Constantin Mavrocordat, noting that it had been printed to enlighten “not only those at home, that is, in Your Highness’s realm, but all those who speak the Romanian language”46. The bishop was assisted by several collaborators, such as the hieromonk Lavrentie of Hurezi Monastery, a proofreader, author of prefaces and even a translator, as well as by the printer Dimitrie Pandovici and the brothers Mihail and Constantin Atanasievici, from a renowned family of printers in Râmnic 47.

Climent’s portrait can be found painted at Pietrarii de Jos, Polovragi, the Infirmary and the Chapel of the Archdiocese of Râmnic, at the former Titireciu Monastery in Ocnele Mari, at the Church of the Annunciation in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, the Church of the Entry into the Church in Bodești and the Church of Saint Nicholas in Vătășești, in the commune of Bărbătești.

‘Having become very frail due to old age and frequent illnesses’, Bishop Climent deemed it best to relinquish his episcopal see and, in the spring of 1748, he submitted his ‘paretisis’ (renunciation of the see), in the presence of Metropolitan Neofit and Mr Grigore Ghica, asking them to ‘appoint another brother to be bishop of my diocese, whom they shall choose in accordance with the canons’48.

He fell asleep in the Lord on 31 January 1753, taking the monastic name of Cosma, and was laid to rest in the nave of the Archiepiscopal Cathedral in Râmnic. The bishop’s tombstone has not survived.

Regarding Bishop Climent, His Grace Vartolomeu Stănescu of Râmnic said: “He was a devout prelate, a hard worker, a lover of learning and, above all, a good steward of the House of the Lord”49. Meletie Răuțu, former archpriest of Vâlcea County, regarded him as “the most legendary bishop the Diocese of Râmnic has ever had”50).

It is not known when it was abandoned by the monks and came to be used as a parish church founded by Bishop Climent of Pietrarii de Jos; what is certain is that from the mid-19th century onwards it is no longer referred to as a hermitage 51.

The Church of the Annunciation of the former Climent hermitage, now a branch of the Pietrari-Schitu parish, is a masterpiece of post-Brâncoveanu-era architecture and art, and a living testament to the love of a worthy hierarch for his native land and for the ancestors from whose ranks he rose to fulfil the Lord’s will by taking his seat on the diocesan throne of Râmnic.

• 1

  It is a Category B cultural heritage site – of local and regional importance – listed on the Register of Historical Monuments in Romania since 1991 (code 39B0260) and featured in the Ministry of Culture’s most recent register (2015), under code VL-II-m-B-09871.

• 2

  Veniamin Micle, Unquenchable Torches, Bistrița Monastery – Diocese of Râmnic, Costești, 2005, p. 258.

• 3

  Medieval and Modern Inscriptions of Romania. The Historic County of Vâlcea (14th century–1848), edited by Constantin Bălan, Published by the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 2005, p. 764.

• 4

  P. Ș. Năsturel, ‘The Former Hermitage of the Annunciation in Pietrarii de Jos’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, Vol. VII, No. 3–4, Craiova, 1955, p. 207.

• 5

  Inscription on the lintel of the door leading into the narthex of the Church of the Annunciation in Pietrarii de Jos.

• 6

  C. Bălan, Op. cit., p. 767.

• 7

  Radu Crețeanu, ‘A Great Builder of Holy Places: Climent of Râmnic’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, no. 7–8, Craiova, 1970, p. 664.

• 8

  C. Bălan, Op. cit., p. 765.

• 9

  The Romanian Academy, Diocese of Râmnic, file XCIV, 20.

• 10a10b

  Ibid.

• 11

  Athanasie Mironescu, The History of the Diocese of Râmnic, Gutenberg Press, Bucharest, 1906, p. 406.

• 12

  Register of the Diocese of Râmnic, folios 16–17, document 2.

• 13

  Dumitru Bălașa, ‘Stone Crosses in Wallachia, catalogued in 1832 (II)’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, Vol. XXIV, No. 5–6 (May–June), Craiova, 1972, p. 415

• 14

  Ghenadie Enăceanu, ‘Neofit I, Metropolitan of Ungrovlahia’, in BOR, II, p. 11.

• 15

  SJVAN, Vâlcea County Court, Diocese of Bishop Climent, file no. 849/1834, pp. 48–50.

• 16

  SJVAN, Vâlcea County Court, case no. 849/1834, p. 51.

• 17

  Aurelian Sacerdoțeanu, ‘Documents relating to the commune of Pietrari, Govora district, Vâlcea County’, in Arhivele Olteniei, Year IX, 1930, nos. 47–48, p. 39

• 18

  P. Ș. Năsturel, Op. cit., p. 207.

• 19

  C. Bălan, op. cit., p. 768.

• 20

  SJVAN, Vâlcea County Court, case no. 849/1834, p. 54.

• 21

  Ibid., pp. 50–51.

• 22

  V. Antoniu, ‘A census from Vâlcea, 1834’, in Arhivele Olteniei, Year XVI, 92–94, 1937, p. 348.

• 23

  Meletie Răuțu, Ecclesiastical Monograph of Vâlcea County, County and R.-Vâlcea Commune Printing Office, Râmnicu Vâlcea, 1908, p. 103

• 24

  Virgiliu N. Drăghiceanu, ‘The Monuments of Oltenia (Second Report)’, in the Bulletin of the Commission for Historical Monuments (BCMI), XXVI – issue 76, (April–June 1933), ‘Datina Românească’ Printing Works, Vălenii de Munte, 1933, p. 65.

• 25

  Archive of the Vâlcea County Directorate for Culture (hereinafter DJCV), County Office for National Cultural Heritage (OJPCN), file no. 3, containing the classification and cataloguing of movable and immovable property as at 1 April 1972, Pietrari-Bârlog Parish, Stoenești commune. Brief history, I, f. 456.

• 26

  Ibid., II, fol. 456.

• 27

  DJCV – OJPCN, file no. 3, I, p. 456.

• 28

  Fr. Dumitru Sandu (ed.), The Diocese of Râmnic and Argeș, vol. II, Biblical Institute Press, Bucharest, 1976, p. 930

• 29

  DJCV Archive, Minutes No. 7682/20 July 2010.6.

• 30

  Ibid., Report on the preventive archaeological survey at the Church of the Annunciation, formerly the Climent Hermitage, in the village of Pietrarii de Jos, Pietrari commune, Vâlcea County (14 August 2008), compiled by Arch. M. Iosifaru.

• 31

  C. Bălan, op. cit., p. 766.

• 32

  Florin Epure, ‘Climent of Râmnic and the Chezaro-Crăiască Rule’, in Clipa – the magazine of Romanian cultural current affairs, Year III, June–July 2010, p. 13

• 33

  Veniamin Micle, The Bistrița Monastery in Oltenia, The Bistrița Monastery, Costești, 1996, p. 93.

• 34

  Romanian Academy, ms. 1396, folios 22–23.

• 35

  Alexandru Ștefulescu, Polovragii, N.D. Miloșescu Press, Târgu Jiu, 1906, p. 54.

• 36

  V. Micle, Op. cit., loc. cit.

• 37

  Nicolae Dobrescu, The History of the Romanian Church in Oltenia during the Austrian Occupation (1716–1739), Published by the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 1906, p. 118.

• 38

  Ibid., pp. 125–130

• 39

  SJVAN, D.I./C.C.L.VI/45.

• 40

  N. Dobrescu, Op. cit., p. 132.

• 41

  Marin Dumitrescu, History of 40 Churches in Romania, vol. III, Universal Graphic Arts Press, Bucharest, 1907, p. 19. Athanasie Mironescu, op. cit., p. 136.

• 42

  Constantin C. Giurescu, Material for the History of Oltenia under Austrian Rule, Bucharest, 1947, vol. III, pp. 315–318.

• 43

  The Memorial Book of the Diocese of Râmnic, no. 3, pp. 25–26. Mironescu, Op. cit., pp. 258–259.

• 44

  National Archives of Romania (ANR), SANIC, Suluri Collection, 19.

• 45

  Ion Bianu, Nerva Hodoș, Early Romanian Bibliography, ‘Socec & Co.’ Printing Works; Tipo Moldova, Bucharest, vol. II (1910), pp. 52–107; Volume IV (1944), pp. 56–58; 241–242.

• 46

  Ibid., p. 92.

• 47

  Mircea Păcurariu, ‘Bishop Climent of Râmnic (1735–1748)’, in Mitropolia Olteniei, Vol. XVII, No. 1–2 (January–February), Craiova, 1965, p. 30.

• 48

  Ghenadie Enăceanu, The Holy Register, Tipo-Litografia Cărților Bisericești, Bucharest, 1886, Vol. I, pp. 149–150.

• 49

  Vartolomeu Stănescu, Yearbook of the Diocese of Râmnicu-Noul-Severin for the years 1921–1925, Tipografiile Române Unite, Bucharest, 1925, p. 300.

• 50

  M. Răuțu, op. cit., p. 103.

• 51

  I. Donat, The Religious Foundations of Oltenia. Monasteries and Hermitages – with a map, Scrisul Românesc et al., Craiova, 1937, p. 65.