History of Antim Monastery

Saint Antim Monastery

History of Antim Monastery

After an intense religious and cultural activity, Saint Metropolitan Antim Ivireanul, following a divine revelation on the feast of the Holy Martyr Agata (February 5, 1713), starts building a monastery in Bucharest, near the Metropolitan, on the site where there was an old wooden church.

St. Antimus will get for his foundation several properties, some donated by boyars, others bought by him, putting all his wealth for the foundation of this holy place, but also all his effort to carefully coordinate all the work according to his plans.

In only two years, the monastery's great church was completed, being consecrated on July 20, 1715, and by the time of Metropolitan Antim's death in the fall of 1716, the surrounding chapels and the bell tower were also largely completed.

Tradition has it that the doors at the entrance to the church, as well as the icon of the four saints (Alexy, Nicholas, Antim and Agatha) were made by St. Antim Ivirean himself, and the other stone and wood carvings were made after his sketches.

The "Așezământul..." of Metropolitan Antim of April 24, 1713 is the first monastic tipicon in the Romanian area, by which he established a number of practical provisions for the monastery's inhabitants regarding: the mercy of the poor and needy, the education and support of children eager to learn, the accommodation of foreigners, the organization of the first public lending library, the operation of two printing presses, one Greek and one Romanian, but also full autonomy of the monastery.

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