Founded by Stephen the Great in 1497, the Neam■ Monastery is the most important religious edifice in Moldavia. Written documents mention the existence of a monk hermitage in this area as early as the second half of the 14th century; it was built by the local voivode of the Neam■ fortress. Prince Petru I Mu║at (1374-1391) erected a stone church. After successive destructions, the monastery was enlarged during the 15th and the 16th centuries. Only the large church, built by Stephen the Great, and the lower part of the steeple have been preserved from the original construction.
The entrance porch and the crypt, situated between the nave and the narthex, are typically Moldavian architectural elements. The rectangular narthex has two equally large sections and two domes. The nave is of large dimensions, is also rectangular in shape, and has two lateral apses that are semi-circular on the inside and pentagonal on the outside. The foundations include four leaning arches and four large arches. The steeple rises in the centre. Nine massive buttresses support the massive walls all the way to the level of the vaults.
The outside decoration combines Gothic and Byzantine elements. The nine buttresses and the decorations around the doors and windows are Gothic. The octagonal tower provided with four windows is decorated with green, yellow and brown geometrically shaped ceramic ornaments. Uncut stone decorates the walls of the faτade, and polished stone decorates the foundations. The lower part of the edifice is fortified, while niches and ceramic disks are present on the upper part.
The Gothic windows have blunt arches and finely carved stone ornaments. The lateral gates are enclosed in simple stone blocks and are decorated with ogee arches. The main portal is carved in stone and is decorated on the upper part with Gothic elements, such as stilted arches in relief. The Baroque altar is carved in wood and covered with gold leaf.
The mural paintings were added at different times. The main apse, the nave and the burial chamber were painted during the last two years of Stephen the GreatÆs reign, in 1503 and 1504. The narthex and the entrance hall were painted at the end of Petru Rare║Æs reign (1541-1546). The main apse was redecorated in the 19th century. The original paintings have been preserved only in the nave. The portraits of the saints were made in vivid colours, following the Byzantine model. The Italian influence is visible in the way the landscapes are rendered. In the 15th century, the Neam■ Monastery housed the largest centre of calligraphy and miniature painting in Moldavia. The Neam■ Monastery made possible the dissemination of religious manuscripts in Slavonic, such as the Slavic-Greek version of the Four Gospels, copied by Gavril Uric, the chronicler. The original is on display in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Founded 600 years ago, the library of the monastery is the oldest in Romania
