Influenţa Sfântului Munte Athos asupra vieţii spirituale şi culturale a Moldovei
Influence of the Holy Mount Athos on the spiritual and cultural life of Moldova

Summary/Abstract: The Holy Mount Athos was and remains an important spiritual centre of the Orthodox world, a place where „islands of sedateness and calmness, prayer, feast and ascetism flourish”, nicknamed as a „Mecca of Christians”. In the Middle Ages the Mount Athos contributed much to the spiritual and cultural life of Moldova. In particular this influence is detectable in ecclesiastical architecture, iconography, frescos, etc. After short visits to the Mount Athos Moldavian monks came back to Moldova where they founded or reorganized monastic life according to the rules of the Mount Athos. The Mount Athos style had a strong influence on the educational activity of Moldavian monasteries and on the monks who lived there. Thus, following the tradition of the Holy Mount, libraries were founded in monastic communities, and their scriptoria produced copies of ancient manuscripts and Christian books. This allowed collecting and preserving valuable historical and cultural documents, monuments of literature and art. It is very important that the Moldavian monks have brought home from the Holy Mount the doctrine of Hesychasm. Following the example of their Mount Athos counterparts they established communities in forests and mountains, which became centres of devotion, ascetism, and Hesychasm.

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