Arbore Church

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Year Built: 1503
Built by: Luca Arbore
Location: Arbore, Suceava County
Summary: The dating of the paintings is unsure. An inscription found inside the church states that Dragoş, son of priest Coman of Iaşi, painted the church in 1541 at the request of Ana, niece of Luca Arbore. Usually, this is considered the date of both the interior and exterior paintings.

The church seen from the southwest.

In 1503 great hetman Luca Arbore founded a chapel in the village bearing his name, to be part of his estate.
Arbore was one of the most important boyars in the courts of Stephen the Great, Bogdan III and Prince Stefăniţă. Political differences separated Arbore from Prince Stefăniţă, he lost his position as hetman and guard of Suceava, and was beheaded in 1523. The church is dedicated to the Beheading of St. John the Baptist.

West façade of the Arbore church.

There are some researchers who think that the date 1541 only refers to later modifications. Inside, the plan is triconch, with the two lateral apses of the naos carved out of the thickness of the walls. The west façade of the church is very distinctive. Only here in Arbore and in Reuseni, a giant niche replaces the exonarthex, Originally, the church bells were placed here, on a wooden beam, and now the space is used to give offerings to the dead.

The dating of the paintings is unsure. Aninscription found inside the church states thatDragos, son of priest Coman of Iasi, painted thechurch in 1541 at the request of Ana, niece ofLuca Arbore. Usually, this is considered thedate of both the interior and exterior paintings.There are some researchers who think that thechurch was painted quite soon after it wasbuilt, and the date 1541 refers to later modifi-cations.

Architecturally, the church, together withthose of Dobrovat and Reuseni, is part of thegroup of churches that mark the end of Stephenthe Great’s reign. The church belongs to theso-called mixed type. The westfaçade of the church is very distinctive.

A scene from The Life of St. George. The saint at the court of the King.

The south façade of the Arbore church is quite well preserved, except for the upper registers and the east end. On the left side of the door is the Byzantine hymn to the Holy Virgin, The Akathistos Hymn, with its 24 stanzas. Below it is the additional typically Moldavian scene of The Siege of Constantinople, painted to invoke the protection of the Virgin against the invading Turks. This is the last time this scene was painted on the exterior of any church.