Mânăstirea Trivale, Pitești, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Trivale Monastery (Mânăstirea Trivale) is an Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity, set on the wooded Trivale hill on the edge of Pitești, Romania. Its church goes back to the 15th century and was rebuilt in stone and brick in the 17th century, which makes it one of the older religious sites in the city.

The story behind it

The first church on this spot was made of wood in the 15th century and carried the dedication to the Holy Trinity. Wooden churches of that kind did not last, and the building was rebuilt more than once over the following two centuries.

The version that stands today dates from the second half of the 17th century, when the church was raised again in stone and brick. The work was finished in 1698, during the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu, the Wallachian prince whose name is tied to a whole style of late 17th century building. That was also when the founding inscription, known in Romanian as the pisanie, was put in place to record who built the church and when.

What to look for

• The founding inscription (pisanie) near the entrance, which fixes the church in the year 1698 and in the reign of Brâncoveanu.
• The masonry of stone and brick, a sign that this is a rebuilt church and not the original wooden one.
• The Holy Trinity dedication, which you will see in the name of the church and in its religious imagery.
• The wooded slope of Trivale around the monastery, which gives the site a calm, green setting very close to the city.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the church and the grounds, longer if you want to walk in the surrounding forest park.
• This is a working monastery, so dress modestly, keep your voice low and ask before taking photographs inside. Check current opening hours and any visiting rules before you go.
• Morning or late afternoon is the nicest time, when the light is soft and the paths under the trees are quiet.
• The monastery is a short trip from the centre of Pitești, so it combines easily with a walk through Trivale Park.

See it on a quest

The monastery is one stop on Murder in Pitesti: The Story of the Headless Bride, a self-guided quest through the city. You walk to the monastery as part of a longer route, the app tells you about the place when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.