The Arbore Monastery was built in 1503 by Luca Arbore, the Governor of Suceava and counsellor to Stephen the Great and his successors, Bogdan III and Stephen the Young. Executed by order of Stephen the Young, Luca Arbore was buried in this monastery.
Rectangular and slender, the church was built of brick and stone extracted from the quarries in the region. The outer niche on the west side was built for obsequies, and is a very original architectural detail. The nave is separated from the burial chamber by a massive wall. The dome, supported by a series of arcades, built above the two halls, strengthens the impression of height within the church.
The inside and outside frescoes were painted in the Byzantine style by a Moldavian painter, Master Drago║, in 1541. The most artistically accomplished outside frescoes are ôThe Lives of the Martyrsö and ôThe Genesisö (on the west faτade), ôThe Akathistos Hymnö, ôThe Siege of Constantinople,ö and ôThe Last Judgmentö (south).
The interior frescoes include some outstanding portraits, such as the portraits of Luca Arbore and his family in the votive painting, Saint MarinaÆs portrait, the portrait of Emperor Constantine the Great, the portraits of saints, musicians, etc. Among the large compositions, the ôCavalcade of the Holy Crossö in the nave is iconographically the most relevant. The church has got many elements indicating a Gothic influence, such as the funeral stone on the crypt of Luca Arbore and his family, or the ornaments around the entrances and the narrow windows.
