The Seat Fortress of Suceava Suceava is the place of several medieval sites that are closely linked to the history of the former
Principality of Moldavia. By far the most significant (and at the same time the most well preserved one) is the
Seat Fortress of Suceava (; ) or Suceava Citadel, a medieval castle situated on the eastern edge of the contemporary town. The fortress was built during the reign of
Petru of Moldavia (1375–1391), also known as Petru Mușat. It was further expanded and strengthened during the reigns of
Alexander I of Moldavia (1400–1432) and
Stephen the Great (1457–1504). The medieval castle was part of the fortification system built in
Moldavia during the late 14th century, given the emergence of the expansionist
Ottoman danger. It even became strong enough to hold off an attack by Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II (the conqueror of
Constantinople) in 1476. Suceava was the capital of the former Principality of Moldavia between 1388 and 1565. During this period, the castle served as princely residence.
Alexandru Lăpușneanu had subsequently moved the Moldavian capital to
Iași in 1565, so the castle lost its status. Afterwards, the citadel entered a period of steep decline. In 1675, during the reign of
Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino, the fortress was destroyed. Then, for over two centuries, the castle was completely deserted. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, under the patronage of Austrian architect
Karl Adolf Romstorfer, a series of rehabilitation works and archaeological research had been conducted. Between 1961 and 1970 other restoration and consolidation processes were carried out. In 2013, a major reconstruction program was launched, aiming to return the castle to its original architecture and shape. The Seat Fortress of Suceava consists of two concentric citadels. The inner citadel, known as
fortul mușatin, has a rectangular shape and a patio (i.e. inner courtyard). It was built by Prince ()
Petru Mușat during the late 14th century. During the second half of the 15th century, Stephen the Great expanded the structure by adding another citadel that had a circular shape surrounding the old one. After 1476, new fortifications were added to the outer citadel. Furthermore, the whole castle is encircled by a large defensive ditch. Today, the fortress is a landmark of Suceava and a noteworthy touristic attraction. Since 2011, it has also been used for hosting cultural events such as the rock music festival Bucovina Rock Castle. The festival attracted a series of renowned national and international bands and artists (e.g. guitarist
Jan Akkerman, formerly of Dutch
jazz fusion and
progressive rock band
Focus).
The Princely Court of Suceava The Princely Court of Suceava () was built and developed along with the Seat Fortress. During the late 14th century, voivode Petru Mușat built the Princely House, a structure made in wood, which included a cellar. After 1400, Alexander I of Moldavia rebuilt the wooden house and added a surrounding stone wall and a complex of buildings also built in stone. During the second half of the 15th century, the Princely Court was severely affected by fire, the wooden house being completely burned out. During his reign, Stephen the Great (1457–1504) restored the whole complex. A new Princely House was built, this time made of stone, and the other buildings were extended.
Vasile Lupu (1634–1653) was the last ruler of Moldavia who took care of the Princely Court. During his time, the cellars were rehabilitated. The complex was abandoned at some point in the late 17th century, the buildings and the walls being gradually dismantled. Currently, on the site of the Princely Court there are only ruins and leftovers of the former buildings. The ruins of the former medieval court are located in the city center of Suceava. Between 14th and 17th centuries, in the proximity of the Princely Court there were built several churches that still exist today and attract tourists.
Șcheia Fortress On the north-western edge of the contemporary city, on a hilltop, there is another medieval citadel known as
Șcheia Fortress () or the Western Fortress of Suceava (). Unlike the Seat Fortress,
Șcheia Fortress has left nothing but some ruined walls. The citadel proper was built during the reign of Petru Mușat during the late 14th century, but was short-lived, given that it was dismantled during the early 15th century, in the time of
Alexander I of Moldavia.
Șcheia Fortress, just like the main Seat Fortress, was part of the fortification system built in the medieval Principality of Moldavia during the late 14th century.
Museums . During the
interwar period, the building served as Suceava County prefecture. The first museum in Suceava was opened in 1900, by the initiative of some local intellectuals. In the beginning, the museum included only a few collections that were obtained as a result of the researches and excavation works at the Seat Fortress of Suceava. The museum was expanded and developed over time and became an important cultural institution, currently named
Bukovina Museum (). It has several departments and administers the medieval sites of the Seat Fortress,
Șcheia Fortress and the Princely Court, local museums (Bukovina Village Museum, the history, ethnographic, and natural sciences museums), the memorial houses of
Simion Florea Marian in Suceava,
Nicolae Labiș in
Mălini,
Eusebiu Camilar in
Udești,
Ciprian Porumbescu in
Stupca, and two traditional houses located in
Solca and
Bilca. The oldest department of Bukovina Museum is the history museum, which was the backbone for creating a county museum at Suceava. This museum presents the local history of Suceava and Moldavia in the context of Romanian national history. The exhibits of the history museum and the offices of Bukovina Museum are located in a historic building, in the city center. The building, which hosted the prefecture of Suceava County during the interwar period, was built between 1902 and 1903. Since 1968, it houses the history museum. In 2014, the building and the museum entered an extensive program of modernization, rehabilitation, and expansion. At the history museum there is a reconstitution of a scene from the former throne hall located in the Seat Fortress. The scene presents some notable people from the history of Moldavia, made in glass fiber:
Stephen the Great (ruler of Moldavia), Maria Voichița (his third wife),
Bogdan III the One-Eyed (his son and successor to the throne), officials of that time. The scene chosen to be reconstructed is an allotment of land for peasants. The reconstitution is based on medieval documents, frescoes, and archaeological researches. Furthermore, the history museum periodically organizes a wide range of cultural events, several of which also involve the local branch of the
Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR). Furthermore, the local branch of the FDGR/DFDR () is also in charge of the ACI Bukowina Stiftung, a Romanian-German cultural foundation whose president is Josef-Otto Exner. Bukovina Village Museum () is an open-air museum that highlights the traditional cultural and architectural heritage of
Bukovina region. It is located in the eastern part of Suceava, near the Seat Fortress. It was founded in the 1970s, but its major expansion and development took place after 1990. The museum is designed as a traditional village in Bukovina, containing houses and various objectives from the ethnographic areas of
Rădăuți,
Humor,
Câmpulung Moldovenesc,
Dorna, and
Fălticeni. The museum includes among others a water mill from
Mănăstirea Humorului, a traditional blacksmith workshop, a pottery workshop from
Marginea and one of the many old wooden churches in northern Moldavia: Church of the Ascension, a Romanian Orthodox wooden church built in 1783 in
Vama, a village in
Suceava County. The bell tower is also made in wood, and dates from 1787. The church and the bell tower were both relocated in 2001, and currently are part of the museum. Besides Bukovina Village Museum, another museum that reflects the traditional life in this part of Romania is the ethnographic museum. It was opened in 1968 and includes old collections and exhibits that are housed in a medieval inn located in the center of Suceava, known as the Princely Inn of Suceava (). This landmark dates from the late 16th and early 17th century. It was built of stone and has two floors and a cellar. During the Austrian rule (1775–1918), the inn operated as a hunting lodge for the imperial family. Since 1968, it hosts the ethnographic museum. The Princely Inn is the oldest civic building in Suceava which had not been seriously affected by time and maintained its original architecture. The natural sciences museum was founded in 1976–1977, being the newest museum in Suceava. It highlights the flora and fauna of the surrounding area. The museum's rare exhibits and collections are housed in an old building, located in the central park of the city and built between 1811 and 1814. In the past, before being an attraction for visitors, the building operated as a school for boys. Along with all these museums, Bukovina Museum includes memorial houses of some writers and artists born in this area of the country. The memorial house of Simion Florea Marian () is the only one located in Suceava, the other ones being in the surrounding area. The memorial house operates as a museum. It was opened in 1974 in the home where Romanian priest and writer Simion Florea Marian lived, from 1884 until 1907, when he died. The museum hosts a collection that contains over 10,000 volumes, over 450 collections of magazines and newspapers, of which 150 are from
Bukovina, manuscripts, letters, cultural and historical documents, old photos. In front of the memorial house it was opened a small park with a statue dedicated to Simion Florea Marian.
Historical buildings Colegiul de Artă Ciprian Porumbescu () is a high school which is hosted in a historic building, built in 1859, in the city center of Suceava. The building had several destinations in the past: Suceava Town Hall (until 1904) and
Școala primară română de fete (Primary Romanian school for girls). Romanian jazz singer
Anca Parghel taught music for a living in Suceava at this local Arts high school before turning to a professional singing career in 1989.
Gara Suceava Nord-Ițcani (
Suceava North railway station, also known as
Ițcani) is a train station built in 1871 in the village of
Ițcani (today district of Suceava). Between 1871 and 1918, it was a train station at the Austro-Hungarian border. The historic building of Ițcani railway station was built in the Gothic style of the Central European railway stations of that period.
Palatul de Justiție (The Palace of Justice) is a historic building which was built in 1885 to serve as the seat of Suceava Tribunal and Court. The building has four sides and a patio, and was designed by Viennese architect
Ferdinand Fellner. Later, during the communist regime, the city hall was moved in this palace and operated here until 2000.
Spitalul Vechi (The Old Hospital) is a complex of buildings built between 1891 and 1903 which originally hosted the district hospital. The hospital ensemble consists of four pavilions of historic value and was built in the southwestern end of Suceava, in Areni neighborhood. In 1964 a new hospital building (known as
Spitalul Nou) was inaugurated nearby.
Colegiul Național Ștefan cel Mare (Ștefan cel Mare National College) is the oldest and most prestigious high school in
Suceava County, established in 1860. The baroque style building which houses the high school was built between 1893 and 1895, downtown Suceava, and today is considered a historical monument.
Gara Suceava-Burdujeni (
Suceava railway station, also known as
Burdujeni) is a train station built between 1892 and 1902 in the village of Burdujeni (today district of Suceava). Between 1902 and 1918, it was a train station at the Austro-Hungarian border. The historic building of Burdujeni railway station was built in the architectural style of
Fribourg railway station, located in Switzerland.
Palatul Administrativ (
The Administrative Palace) is a historic building which was built between 1903 and 1904 to serve as the seat of Suceava City Hall. The building originally had only two sides of the four current sides, and was designed by Viennese architect
Peter Paul Brang. It was designed in the baroque style. Currently, the palace houses the prefecture and the county council of Suceava County.
Casa Polonă (The Polish House) is a building made between 1903 and 1907 by the Polish community in the city of Suceava. The building was designed by architect
Alojz Friedel. During the communist regime, The Polish House was nationalized, and since 1954, it housed
Ansamblul Artistic Ciprian Porumbescu (Ciprian Porumbescu Artistic Ensemble). In 1984 the building was restored, and then hosted a local theatre, until 1990. In 1996, the building was returned to the Polish community of the city.
Uzina de Apă (The Water Plant) is a set of industrial heritage buildings, designed in 1908 by engineer G. Thiem from
Leipzig and built between 1910 and 1912. The water plant operated in these buildings between 1912 and 1960, and then it was moved into a modern building. In 2012, in celebration of 100 years since its establishment, in the former water plant buildings there was inaugurated the Centre for Architecture, Urban Culture and Landscape in Suceava.
Biblioteca Bucovinei I.G. Sbiera (I.G. Sbiera Bukovina Library) is the first public library in Suceava, inaugurated on 12 December 1923. It is also the largest library in Suceava County, with over 350,000 bibliographic units. Currently, the library is hosted by two historic buildings located in downtown Suceava and built between 1925 and 1926, respectively 1929–1930.
The County Forestry Department in Suceava is an institution which operates in a heritage building located in Areni neighborhood, in the city of Suceava. The building dates from the first half of the 20th century.
The Unions House in Suceava is a heritage building, located in downtown Suceava, which houses the unions offices, along with some shops. The building is also known as Samuil Isopescu House.
Casa Costin Tarangul (Costin Tarangul House) is a heritage house dating from the 19th century (1886). The building is located next to Simion Florea Marian Memorial House, in the center of Suceava.
Casa Ciprian Porumbescu (Ciprian Porumbescu House) is a heritage house dating from the 19th century, where Romanian composer
Ciprian Porumbescu lived and created some of his works. The house is located in Prunului street, downtown Suceava.
School No. 5 Jean Bart in Burdujeni (Suceava) is a school built in 1902 in the village Burdujeni, today a town district of Suceava. The building that houses the school has historic value.
School No. 6 in Burdujeni-Sat (Suceava) is a school built in 1911 in the village Burdujeni, today a town district of Suceava. The building that houses the school has historic value.
Former Burdujeni Town Hall in Suceava is a building that was built in 1902 in the village Burdujeni and initially was the town hall of the locality. In 1926 Burdujeni became a district of Suceava, and so the town hall was abolished. The historic building currently houses the headquarters of Electrica company. File:PNL local headquarters in downtown Suceava.jpg|Austrian-style house situated in the historical town centre which currently serves as the local headquarters of PNL Suceava. File:Gara Suceava Nord.jpg|Ițcani railway station during the early 20th century File:Suceava railway station (39856700481).jpg|Burdujeni railway station during the early 20th century File:Spitalul vechi din Suceava6.jpg|The central pavilion of the Old Hospital in Suceava File:Palatul Administrativ din Suceava19.jpg|The Administrative Palace during the interwar period File:BRC Sv.jpg|St. John of Nepomuk Roman Catholic church in 1990 File:Biblioteca Bucovinei I.G. Sbiera din Suceava.jpg|I.G. Sbiera Bukovina Library in Suceava File:Direcția Silvică iarna.jpg|The County Forestry Department in Suceava, as seen during the winter. File:Primaria din Burdujeni.jpg|Former Burdujeni town hall building File:Casa_Polonă_din_Suceava4.jpg|The 'Dom Polski' Polish House
Ițcani neighbourhood Ițcani is a neighbourhood located several miles northwest of the city centre. Initially established as a small village in the 15th century under the rulership of
Alexăndrel of Moldavia, it expanded as a German-speaking colony starting in the late 19th century, seeing an influx of German settlers during the
Josephine colonization which took place in the time of the
Austrian Empire.
The north railway station (which depicts architectural elements of both
Gothic revival and
Neo-romanticist styles, also the oldest in the city) is situated in this neighbourhood as well.
Monuments Near the fortress, in Șipote-Cetate Park, there is an
equestrian statue of Stephen the Great, designed and made by the local sculptor Iftimie Bârleanu in 1977. The monument has 23 meters in height, being the tallest equestrian statue in Romania. In the town centre there's also a statue dedicated to
Petru Mușat, Prince of Moldavia between 1375 and 1391 and to
Petru Rareș, twice Prince of Moldavia, firstly between 1527 and 1538 then secondly and for the last time between 1541 and 1546.
Religious buildings Romanian Orthodox churches One of the most important cultural sites in Suceava is
Saint John the New Monastery which includes the monumental Church of
Saint George, built between 1514 and 1522. The construction began during the reign of voivode
Bogdan III the One-Eyed of Moldavia, after the nearby Mirăuți Church (the metropolitan cathedral of Moldavia at that moment) was devastated in 1513. The construction was completed by
Stephen IV of Moldavia (also known as Ștefăniță). The monastery church served as metropolitan cathedral of Moldavia until 1677. It has frescoes painted on the outside, typical of the region, and is one of eight buildings that make up the
churches of Moldavia UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 1991 Saint John the New Monastery serves as the cathedral of the
Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuți. Saint John the New was a Moldavian monk who preached during Turkish occupation and was subsequently martyred in Cetatea Albă, present-day
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Ukraine.
Alexander I of Moldavia brought his relics to Suceava in 1402. Mirăuți Church, dedicated to Saint George, is the oldest religious building in Suceava, founded by
Petru II of Moldavia in late 14th century, in the same period with the Seat Fortress, when he moved the capital from
Siret to Suceava. The church established the city as a see of it. Mirăuți was the metropolitan cathedral of Moldavia between 1402 and 1522, when the church of Saint John the New Monastery was completed. In 1402, the relics of Saint John the New were transferred to this church from
Cetatea Albă, and then, in 1589 transferred again to the nearby monastery church by voivode
Peter the Lame. The name
Mirăuți derives from the fact that it was the coronation church of Moldavia until 1522.
Stephen the Great was crowned in here in 1457. After the church was devastated, it was rebuilt in early 17th century, and then, in the 18th century, abandoned. Church of
Saint Demetrius was founded by
Peter IV Rareș, ruler of Moldavia (1527–1538, 1541–1546), and the son of Stephan the Great. The church was built in 1534–1535, with a bell tower added in 1560–1561 by Alexandru Lăpușneanu. The bell tower is 40 meters high, being the tallest bell tower in Suceava and a landmark of the city. The church had frescoes painted on the outside, that are still visible on one side wall. The frescoes inside were restored recently. Church of Saint Demetrius is located near the ruins of the former Princely Court of Suceava. Furthermore, there is another old church near these ruins. Church of
Saint John the Baptist, also known as Coconilor Church or Domnițelor Church, was founded in 1643 by
Vasile Lupu, voivode of Moldavia between 1632 and 1653. It has no exterior frescoes and a short bell tower that has its roof linked with the roof above the church. In its early days, the church functioned as a chapel for the Princely Court. Church of the Resurrection (located in the proximity of Saint John the New Monastery) dates from 1551, and was founded by Elena Rareș, the wife of voivode Peter IV Rareș. The church has no tower above the
naos, its architecture reflecting the urban style of the medieval period. Instead of the bell tower, the church has a
zvonnitsa, an architectural form especially used in the
Russian architecture of the 14th–17th centuries. Church of the Resurrection was used by the local Roman Catholic community during the Habsburg occupation, and then by the Ruthenian Greek Catholic community, until 1936. It is also known as
Văscresenia Church or
Elena Doamna Church. Church of
Saint Nicholas (Prăjescu) is another religious building in Suceava that features the medieval Moldavian architectural style. The present church was rebuilt by treasurer Nicoară Prăjescu in 1611, during the reign of Constantin Movilă (1607–1611). Throughout its history, the church functioned as a necropolis for the local
boyars. Between the city center and Ițcani neighborhood, on the slopes that descend to the
Suceava river valley, there is Church of the Assumption, another old Romanian Orthodox church, founded in the first half of the 17th century (1639). The church was built on the place where Ițcani Monastery existed before. It functioned as a nunnery until late 18th century. Today it is parish church, and has a zvonnitsa similar to that of Church of the Resurrection, located downtown. In Burdujeni neighborhood, north-east of the city center, there is Teodoreni Monastery, founded in 1597 by local boyar Teodor Movilă, the elder brother of
Ieremia Movilă, ruler of Moldavia (1595–1600, 1600–1606). Burdujeni village (now a district of Suceava) was established and developed around this monastery. The set of buildings includes Church of Ascension, the bell tower, living quarters for nuns and a surrounding wall. Just north of Teodoreni Monastery, in the old district of Burdujeni, there is Church of the Holy Trinity, founded by archimandrite Filaret Scriban in 1851. Ițcani neighborhood has two Romanian Orthodox churches founded in the first half of the 20th century: Church of the Holy Archangels (built near
Suceava North railway station, in 1933–1938) and Church of the Holy Apostles (located on
European route E85 and built in 1905–1908 by the German community of Ițcani, initially as a Lutheran church).
Church of the Holy Cross, located in
Pătrăuți village (a few miles north-west of Ițcani), was founded in 1487 by Stephen the Great, and is one of the monuments that make up the
churches of Moldavia UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also not far away from Ițcani, there is
Dragomirna Monastery, established by clergyman
Anastasie Crimca in 1609.
Voroneț Monastery is located west of Suceava, in the town of
Gura Humorului.
German Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches During the
late Modern Age up until the early 1940s, a sizeable ethnic
German community lived in the town of Suceava. They were of both
Roman Catholic and
Lutheran faith. These German-speaking colonists who were settled by the
Austrian Empire in the town proper can trace their origins most notably to the territories of present-day southern Germany,
Austria, and the
Czech Republic (more specifically
Bohemia or the
Bohemian Forest), being thus both Roman Catholics and Protestants (more specifically Lutherans). Several religious buildings that served both aforementioned religious denominations can still be found today both in the town proper and in the
Ițcani neighbourhood, where a bygone community of ethnic Germans (stemming from the contemporary
Rhineland-Palatinate land in Germany) once lived in sizeable numbers.
Armenian Orthodox churches In the past, Suceava used to have an important Armenian community as well. Their cultural and historical legacy is highlighted by a series of well preserved religious buildings that still exist to this today. The most representative ecclesiastical landmark established by the local Armenian population is Zamca Monastery (the term Zamca can actually trace its linguistic origin to
Polish, denoting as such a 'fortified place' and being named this way by
King Jan Sobieski of
Poland in 1691), a fortified complex of buildings located on a plateau at the western point of the contemporary city. Zamca Monastery was constructed between 1551 and 1606 and its church is dedicated to Saint Auxentius. Along with the church, the monastery includes several buildings made of stone and a defensive wall that surrounds the whole medieval complex. Between Zamca Monastery and the city center there are two more Armenian Orthodox churches. Church of Saint Simon (also known as The Red Tower Church because of its bell tower) was founded in 1513. The bell tower was constructed in 1551. The church has an old Armenian cemetery in the proximity and a chapel that was built in 1902 (Pruncul Chapel). Church of the Holy Cross was established in 1521 and was renovated several times in its history. The Armenian parsonage is located near the church, along with several old tomb stones. Hagigadar Monastery is another medieval complex built by the local Armenians. It was founded in 1512–1513, and is located on the south-western proximity of the town, on a valley near
European route E85. == Tourism ==