Putna

Putna lies among the wooded hills of northern Moldavia, beside the river of the same name. Here Stephen the Great founded a monastery intended as the burial place of his family. Its church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, was begun in 1466 and consecrated in 1469. Gifts and privileges from its founder made Putna one of the foremost monasteries of the principality.

Work on the buildings and defences continued through Stephen's reign. His sons Bogdan and Peter were buried here in 1479 and 1480, and Stephen himself was laid to rest at Putna in 1504. The monastery also nurtured manuscript work and precious embroidery; the tomb covering of his wife Maria of Mangup bears a life-size portrait. A fire in 1484 damaged the complex, which was subsequently rebuilt and enlarged.