Arbore

Arbore
Commune
The painted church of Arbore
Coat of arms
Arbore
Coordinates: 47°44′N 25°56′E / 47.733°N 25.933°E / 47.733; 25.933
Country	Romania
County	Suceava County
Population (2002)[1]	6,758
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

Arbore is a commune located in Suceava County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Arbore, Bodnăreni and Clit.

Church of Arbore

Arbore is best known for its church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. Its painted church was the first painted church to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List of the Churches of Moldavia. The monastery and the commune are named after the boyar Luca Arbore who built the church in 1503. The construction of the church was completed in about 5 months. Its exterior paintings date from 1541 and were made by Dragoș Coman. Painting the church took about 40 years.

Conservation state of outside paintings

The outside paintings on the western wall are the most well preserved, as opposed to those on the northern facade, which suffered extensive weather-related damage. This damage arose mostly because the church roof was plundered by marauding Cossack troops and melted in order to make bullets (the original roof was made of lead).

Church interior

Due to its more modest dimensions, the inside of the church consists of only 3 chambers: pronaos, naos and altar. The burial chamber seen in other Moldavian churches (gropnita) is merged with the pronaos. It contains the tombs of hetman Luca Arbore and his family. The inside painting also includes two votive paintings, depicting hetman Arbore and his family offering the church to God through the intercession of Saint John the Baptist. The reason for having two (rather than one) votive paintings is not clear, although some speculate that they were necessary to depict all children in the boyar's numerous family (even so, some are still not included).

External links

• http://www.users.cloud9.net/~romania/Churches/Arbore_pictures.htm

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arbore commune, Suceava.

Suceava County, Romania
Cities	Suceava (county seat) Câmpulung Moldovenesc Fălticeni Rădăuți Vatra Dornei
Towns	Broșteni Cajvana Dolhasca Frasin Gura Humorului Liteni Milișăuți Salcea Siret Solca Vicovu de Sus
Communes	Adâncata Arbore Baia Bălăceana Bălcăuți Berchișești Bilca Bogdănești Boroaia Bosanci Botoșana Breaza Brodina Bunești Burla Cacica Calafindești Capu Câmpului Cârlibaba Ciocănești Ciprian Porumbescu Comănești Cornu Luncii Coșna Crucea Dărmănești Dolhești Dorna-Arini Dorna Candrenilor Dornești Drăgoiești Drăgușeni Dumbrăveni Fântâna Mare Fântânele Forăști Frătăuții Noi Frătăuții Vechi Frumosu Fundu Moldovei Gălănești Grămești Grănicești Hănțești Hârtop Horodnic de Jos Horodnic de Sus Horodniceni Iacobeni Iaslovăț Ilișești Ipotești Izvoarele Sucevei Marginea Mălini Mănăstirea Humorului Mitocu Dragomirnei Moara Moldova-Sulița Moldovița Mușenița Ostra Panaci Păltinoasa Pătrăuți Pârteștii de Jos Poiana Stampei Poieni-Solca Pojorâta Preutești Putna Rădășeni Râșca Sadova Satu Mare Siminicea Slatina Straja Stroiești Stulpicani Sucevița Șaru Dornei Șcheia Șerbăuți Todirești Udești Ulma Vadu Moldovei Valea Moldovei Vama Vatra Moldoviței Verești Vicovu de Jos Voitinel Volovăț Vulturești Zamostea Zvoriștea

Coordinates: 47°44′N 25°56′E / 47.733°N 25.933°E / 47.733; 25.933