Designed as a fortified monastery and a necropolis, Sucevi■a was built by Gheorghe Movilπ, the Rπdπu■i bishop, and by the brothers of Ieremia Movilπ, the prince of Moldavia, in 1591, many years after the death of Stephen the Great.
A large church (100 m. by 104 m.) stands in the centre of a rectangular fortified precinct, with defence towers in the four corners. The precinct walls are built of stone blocks. The belfry, also of rectangular shape, is located on the north-western side of the church and is the strongest of the four towers.
The triconch plane, closed porch, and steeple on the nave make the architecture of the church characteristic of 16th century Moldavia.
The church includes a large narthex with two domes, a small and dark funeral chamber (ôgropni■πö) that also has a spiral staircase leading to a hiding place, and a nave with a large dome supported by two arcades; it also has two side entrances. The inside of the church, whose large windows with Gothic ornaments let plenty of light come in, is painted in rich colours, with green, red, and gold prevailing. Well-preserved to this day, the frescoes were painted by Ioan the Mason, and his brother, Sofronie of Suceava; the paintings follow the model of miniatures, which explains why the narrative spirit of religious scenes predominates. The votive painting on the right side of the nave shows Lady Elisabeta, Prince IeremiaÆs wife, and their children. Among the outside frescoes, mention should be made of the ôAkathistos Hymnö on the southern side, which is one of the most impressive scenes. The other outside frescoes show characteristic features of folk art, full of vivacity and spontaneity; this is mostly the case with ôThe Prayer of All Saintsö (apses), ôThe Ladder of Saint Johnö (north), ôThe Tree of Jesseö (with its remarkable rendering of landscapes), and ôThe Frieze of the Philosophersö (south). The monastery museum houses objects that once belonged to the Movilπ family.
