The Political Influence of Prince Petru Rares on the Sixteenth Century Frescoes at Humor Monastery - Romania

Adriana Bara

In 1993 for the uniqueness of their exterior frescoes, five monasteries from northern Moldavia (Romania) have been classified as UNESCO patrimony. The monasteries have been erected during the reign of prince Petru Raresof Moldavia (1527-38 and 1541-46). The frescoes are a mixture of canonical and apocryphal early Christian literature and Rares’ religious and political views. During Rares’ reign there were two perceived threats to his country: a political one represented by the Ottoman attacks, and a religious one represented by Protestant Reformation. Rares’ political message against the Ottoman Turks found its place in the Humor frescoes. Thus, on the exterior wall there is depicted the fall of Constantinople in a Moldavian style. The battle for Constantinople is part of a larger fresco which represents the Akathistos Hymn of Mother of God and the victors are not the Ottomans but the Byzantines. The iconographers adapted the theme of the siege and of the whole Akathistos Hymn to the contemporary events in their country and changed it into a national invocation: “in the same way as the Virgin helped the Byzantines to defy the enemies, she will help the Moldavians to resist the Ottoman attacks.” Thus, the fresco is not only the image of the “victorious” Constantinople, but of the “victorious” Moldavia also. In my presentation I want to show the political influence of prince Rares on the Humor’s Frescoes.