Tismana is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Wallachia. It was built under the reign of Prince Radu I (1377-1385) by a monk by the name of Nicodim. The name of the monastery comes from the trees in the surrounding forests most of which are yew trees (Romanian “tisă”). The monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. In 1564, Master Dobromir of Târgoviște painted all the church, leaving the original fresco work only in the nave. 
Metropolitan Atanasie was buried in this church in 1404. The fortifications were erected between 1650 and 1651, under the reign of Prince Matei Basarab, and later, under the reigns of Gheorghe Bibescu and Barbu Știrbei (1844-1855). With its enclosing wall and tall towers, this citadel that dominates the Tismana River played an important role in the defence against invasions. The last use of the monastery for military purposes dates from 1821, when the revolutionary troops (the so-called “panduri”) of Tudor Vladimirescu were quartered here.