Here, where the river Oltet emerges from the mountains, after crossing the wild keys that separate the mountains Capatanii from the mountains Parang, we can see the wide depression Polovragi where there was situated from ancient times an ancient village and a monastery.
The human life in the Polovragi village is attested from ancient times. The recent archeological discoveries revealed testimonies of our ancestors Geto-Dacians: on the top of a stone from the Pades' glade it was discovered a military fortress
dating from the second century before Christ, and at the foot of the mountains on the plain where the monastery is located, there was a flourishing civil settlement.
The village Polovragi with this name has gone down in history may be a Dacian cryptogram still illegible. Local consciousness kept alive the legend that there lived some medicine men (popular doctors who cures people), and that The God Zamolxis lived in the Polovragi Cave after the defeat of the Dacians by the Romans, always crying the destiny of his people.
The newest researches established the age of the monastery in the year 1504-1505 during the reign of the Radu the Great, and the founders were Radu Comisu and Patru Spataru, the sons of the great nobleman Danciu Zamona, who wrote the
inscription "I raised this holy monastery in honor of the Assumption, to be for us and for our descendants". In 1629, during the reign of Alexandru Ilias, the monastery comes into possession of the Master Danciu Pîrîianu Milescu who was of the nobleman of the region. In 1643 Danciu Paraianu Milescu makes a restoration with the help of the Prince Matei Basarab and rebuilt the church walls
and the arches that were damaged (says the chronicler).
In 1647 Danciu Pîrîianu was sent to Constantinople by the Prince Capughehaie (ambassador) and he dedicated the monastery and all its goods to the Holy Sepulcher either he was afraid not to come back into the country or of piety that he met Pisie, the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
According to the legend, the monastery settlement dates from ancient times, at the beginning it was a church where in some hermitages lived some hermits. The church made of wood is attested too by the chronicler Paul of Aleppo, a Syrian
accompanying The Patriarch Macarie of Antohia in his visit in our country (1654-1657).
For nearly 50 years, the monastery has been dedicated to the Holy Sepulcher from Jerusalem, in 1693 was bought back by The Prince Brancoveanu with three bags of gold from the patriarch Dostiei of Jerusalem. This fact is attested by the inscription written above the entrance door in the narthex. Following the plane of the regnant, the church was rebuilt, they ascended the tower, the front porch was added and the hermitages, the belfry and the walls were rebuilt, the church was painted by byzantine tradition in mural painting, adorning it with torches where it was necessary.
From now on, the holy monastery continues the religious life in the Polovragi village being the metohija of the Horezu Monastery, under the care of athe Archimandrite loan, but not without encountering difficulties. During the austrian domination the monastery was passed among the monasteries which were the defensive fortifications.
General Steinville chose the monastery as his residence, he housed inside the monastery a battalion of soldiers (1718-1739).
Later the monastery was robbed by "cîrjalii", Pasvantoglu's gangs of robbers, on 27 of April 1802, and the legend says that the monks of the monastery hid the treasures in the valley of the river Oltet.
In terms of architecture, the church is built in the byzantine style, has a trefoil shape with side aisles, mural painting is very important concerning the iconography and the technical execution, being executed by the first students of the Brancoveanu School from Horezu between 1698-1705. Inside, in the northern part is a wooden little gate that we can enter the church infirmary, founded by the Bishop Clement and the Abbot Laurentie between 1732-1738. The Brancovan School painters, loan and Gheorghe, are signed on anaphora.
By the care of the Archdiocese of Craiova, headed by his eminence metropolitan doctor IRINEU, the monastery is well maintained, always on celebration. Thus, The Monastery Polovragi, is a privileged place for seekers of history, culture, peace of mind and religious meditation.
