Mănăstirea și Curtea Domnească fortificată de la Hangu: de la Movilești la Sturdzești
The Hangu Fortified Monastery and Aristocratic Court: from Movilă Family to Sturdza Family

Summary/Abstract: This study focuses on two buildings in Ceahlău commune, Neamţ county, one ecclesiastical and one secular, with a common history of more than two centuries, two historical monuments of great value, with different situations: the church of the former monastery Pionul (The Pawn) is well maintained, retaining its former splendor, while the aristocratic courtyard, with towers, walls, cellars or tunnels of refuge is in ruins. The beginnings are attributed to the quasi-legendary Silvestru, mentioned in - 17th century documents, the founder of a hermitage, then the hetman Gheorghe Lupu built the wall church for the monastery. Prince Antonie Ruset and the Cantacuzini boyars, relatives of the Lupu family, built a fortified boyar court here during the period when they held high positions in Moldova. At the middle of the 19th century, the Moldovan branch of this large family experienced a decline. The masters of Hangu became involved in the Russo-Austro-Turkish wars, when they received the title of „cneji” from the Russian imperial court for their faithful service. In 1821 they supported the Greeks from the Eteria, and in 1848 they were against the ruler Mihail Sturdza. The political games, the pomp of the court, the harmful business led to the impoverishment of the family, the contracting of great debts and the loss of the Hangu and Bălţăteşti domains. The monks of the monastery at the ”Cnejilor Palace” were expelled, but soon the last members of the Cantacuzino family, sons of Gheorghe, the Eterist general from 1821, were to also leave the court. The new owners, the Sturdza family, did not pay much attention to the church or the fortification which began degrading, the walls suffering the most. We managed to capture their history from period documents, monographs, memoirs and from the few articles or studies dedicated to them. The aura of legend still surrounds the palace today, as it did when Gheorghe Asachi, Vasile Alecsandri, Alecu Russo, J.A. Vaillant, Wilhelm de Kotzebue, Mihai Eminescu, Alexandre Dumas-father or George Panu, Constantin Matasă, Gheorghe Ungureanu, G.T. Kirileanu and Constantin Turcu, travelled there, all making its stories known. Our study is also a plea for a historical monument of great importance that deserves all the attention and effort of those able to give it.

• Details
• Contents