Attraction
Agatonul Nou Rock-Cut Hermitage
Agatonul Nou is a rock-cut hermitage carved into limestone, located in the forests near the village of Nucu, commune of Bozioru, Buzău County, and is part of a complex of 12 rupestrian settlements known as "Țara Luanei". First documented in 1587, when Mihnea Turcitul confirmed its estate alongside two other affiliated monasteries, the hermitage preserves an altar carved into the rock bearing two commemorative lists (pomelnice) in Church Slavonic — one mentioning the name of Neagoe Basarab — as well as an adjoining cell with a hidden cellar where the settlement's treasures are believed to have been kept. It is part of the UNESCO Geopark Ținutul Buzăului.
Agatonul Nou is a medieval rock-cut hermitage situated on a steep slope in the heart of the forests within the commune of Bozioru, Buzău County, just a short distance from its twin, Agatonul Vechi. It forms part of a remarkable complex of 12 rupestrian sites in the area of the village of Nucu — Fundătura, Agatonul Vechi, Agatonul Nou, Fundul Peșterii, Văgăuna I and II, Piatra Îngăurită, Piatra lui Iosif, Peștera lui Dionisie, Piatra Șoimului I and II — known collectively as "Țara Luanei", regarded by researchers as a veritable natural and spiritual pantheon. Archaeologists date the carving of the small church to the 13th century, while local tradition links it to the monk Agaton, who in the 15th century transformed the hermitage into a monastic community (chinovie). The earliest documentary record dates to 18 July 1587, when Mihnea Turcitul confirmed the estate of "the monastery of Agaton, where the feast is that of Saint John Chrysostom". It is also mentioned in the commemorative list (pomelnic) at Agaton as a known foundation of Neagoe Basarab (1512–1521). The hermitage ceased to function after 1733 and disappeared entirely in the 18th century. What survives today includes the floor, the southern wall, part of the roof, the altar, and an adjoining cell with a cellar large enough for only one person to enter — a vaulted space believed to have been used to hide the settlement's treasures, which have never been found. The altar has two walls with commemorative lists (pomelnice) carved into the stone: the first, in Church Slavonic and dating from the 16th century, mentions the names of Neagoe Basarab, Archbishop of Buzău Dositei, the nun Teodora, and the monk Agaton. The walls constitute a historical and artistic archive, featuring incised and scratched representations in stone — figures, objects, and symbols. The hermitage is part of the UNESCO Geopark Ținutul Buzăului, recognised in 2022, and can be visited along the themed trail "Drumul Luanei", which connects several rupestrian sites in the area.
Bozioru, judetul Buzau