Saint Stephen the Great | Martyria

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XIII) / 2022 The ‘Saint Procopius’ Hermitage in Bistrița – Vâlcea Archimandrite Veniamin Micle

The article investigates the veneration of Saint Procopius the Great Martyr in medieval Wallachia and Moldova, focusing on churches and monasteries founded by Romanian voivodes — including Stephen the Great and Basarab I — following military victories. Central to the study is the identification of the Battle of Posada (1330) site with the Bistrița Gorge in Vâlcea, supported by Hungarian chronicles, diplomatic documents, and the existence of a hermitage dedicated to Saint Procopius founded there before Bistrița Monastery.

Studia Humanitatis No. II (II) / 2016 Our Rulers and the Faith Academician Dan Berindei

The Romanian Principalities upheld Orthodoxy and developed a policy of defending and spreading the Christian faith in the face of Ottoman domination, whilst maintaining their own organisation and erecting places of worship. Rulers such as Saint Stephen the Great, Neagoe Basarab and Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu founded churches and monasteries and supported the Orthodox patriarchates directly subject to the authority of the sultans.