Ostrov Monastery (Călimănești)

Ostrov Monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God, is an Orthodox monastic settlement on an island in the middle of the Olt, in the centre of the resort town of Călimănești, Vâlcea County — the only inhabited island on Romania's inland rivers, linked to the town by a bridge. The name "Ostrov" comes from Slavonic and means precisely "island". The present church was built between 1520 and 1522, founded by the ruler Neagoe Basarab and his wife, Lady Despina, on the site of an older wooden church attested from the 14th or early 15th century. From Neagoe's time survive the gilded limewood iconostasis and valuable icons, some of which are now held at the National Museum of Art of Romania. The fresco painting was carried out between 1752 and 1760. The monastery is considered the oldest nuns' monastery on Romanian territory; formerly known as Ostrov Hermitage, it functioned as a community of nuns from the 16th century until 1890, and was re-established as a monastery in 1997. Lady Despina, wife of Neagoe Basarab (under the name Platonida), and the mother of the voivode Michael the Brave (under the name Theophana) both took monastic vows here. A remarkable episode in its recent history took place during the building of the Olt hydroelectric plant in the 1980s, when the island and the church were raised by about 6 metres to avoid flooding. Local tradition says the demolition order was cancelled after the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God kept at the monastery appeared in a dream to Elena Ceaușescu. Today, the whole island complex is surrounded by a park with dozens of species of trees and roses. Ostrov Monastery is worth visiting for its unique island setting, its status as a historic monument and its exceptional spiritual history, tied to the great figures of Wallachia.