Those choosing Cotmeana as a destination for a stay will find several important landmarks in the municipality’s church and monastery history. Mănăstirea Cotmeana takes visitors back to the Middle Ages; churches in Bascovele and Ursoaia add further places and periods of construction to the picture. When planning a trip, it is therefore worth distinguishing Cotmeana Monastery from the municipality’s other historic churches. An ecumenical pilgrimage route also places the monastery within the history and architecture of old churches and monasteries in Argeș County.
Mănăstirea Cotmeana and its church
Mănăstirea Cotmeana is located in the municipality of the same name on the road between Pitești and Râmnicu Vâlcea. The monastery was first founded by Radu I before 1385 and rebuilt by Mircea cel Bătrân between 1387 and 1389. The “Buna Vestire” church dates from 1389 and was restored and expanded in the 17th century. Its trefoil plan adds an architectural feature to the dates: it describes the church’s shape, while its foundation, reconstruction and later changes place its building history in time. Mănăstirea Cotmeana preserves the oldest church in a surviving monastic complex in Romania.
Other churches in the municipality
Mănăstirea Bascovele is also located in Cotmeana municipality. Șerban Cantacuzino founded the monastery in 1695. Its church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1835 and rebuilt in 1843. The comparison reveals a different timeline from Cotmeana: at Bascovele, the focus is on its foundation at the end of the 17th century and its reconstruction after the earthquake in the 19th century; Cotmeana dates back to the 14th century in its foundation and reconstruction, and its church was restored and expanded in the 17th century.
In Ursoaia, the “Intrarea în Biserică” church dates from 1695; it was the church of Schitul Bascovele. Another historic church is “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” in the former settlement of Grajduri, now Bascovele; it dates from 1795. These place references mark different historic sites within the municipality, not additional parts of Mănăstirea Cotmeana.
Pilgrimage route and orientation
The ecumenical route to Mănăstirea Cotmeana is a pilgrimage route focused on the history and architecture of old churches and monasteries in Argeș County. Along the route, the onward journey follows the DN 7 to Mănăstirea Cotmeana; the monastery is 32 kilometres from Pitești. It is also situated on the road between Pitești and Râmnicu Vâlcea. These provide two different points of reference: the distance gives the mileage from Pitești, while the road connection places Cotmeana between the two cities.
Cotmeana municipality is part of the Natura 2000 site Platforma Cotmeana (ROSCI0354). This places the destination in the context of the municipality as a whole, while its churches and monasteries are specific historic highlights. Another date to note in the municipal calendar is Municipality Day on 25 March, when an annual fair is held. If you would like to plan your trip around this occasion, check the date in advance.
Discover more destinations: Mioveni, Curtea De Argeş, Ștefănești, Bălilești, Băiculeşti, Leordeni, Valea Uleiului, Bascov.
Return to the overview of the region: Argeş.
