Climbing the slopes of the Cetătuia hill, you reach the monastery of the same name, located on the plateau above the hill (at an altitude of 209 m). Cetătuia Monastery, located on the site of an old fortress, represents a remarkable monumental complex in the artistic landscape of the former Moldavian capital. Its imposing silhouette seems to serve as a protective fortress for the city, similar to the role of the old citadel that watched over the settlement from the foothills in the centuries before the formation of the feudal state of Moldova.
The construction of the Cetătuia monastery was initiated in 1669, during the reign of Gheorghe Duca, and the completion of the works took place in 1672, being delayed by almost two years due to the uprising that broke out against Duca and the great nobility. The monastery complex includes, in addition to its church, the former personal residence of Gheorghe Duca, also called the royal palace, located in the northeastern part of the enclosure, the abbess's building on the southern side and the old royal cell in the eastern part of the courtyard. All these constructions are surrounded by solid walls, up to 7 m high and 1.40 m thick. The main entrance to the monastery is on the south-eastern side of the premises, under the bell tower.
With strong walls and defense towers, Cetătuia Monastery served as a refuge for several rulers in order to save their lives and fortunes. For example, in 1686, after the expedition of the Polish king Ioan Sobiețchi, the ruler Constantin Cantemir controlled only the southern part of Moldova, the rest of the country being occupied by Poles and Tatars. For his safety, the ruler settled in the Cetătuia Monastery.
The great scholar and Metropolitan Dosoftei found refuge for a while at the Cetățuia. On a ritual book, he recorded the following information: "Written at the Citadel on 7182 (1674) June 23".
In the same location, ruler Mihail Racoviță took shelter when the Austrian troops attacked Iasi at the beginning of the third reign (1716-1726). Here, Mihail Racoviță resisted until 3000 Tatars from the Aroneanu monastery came to help. With their support, the Austrian detachment was defeated and Captain Ferentz was captured and beheaded. To mark the victory, ruler Mihail Racoviță erected a stone cross near the Cetătuia monastery, where the Austrians killed by the Tatars were thrown. The cross, called "Ferentz's" by the people, is still today on the side of the road leading to Ciurea and represents one of the most fascinating monuments in the country.
Between 1821 and 1822, when Moldova was occupied by the Turks, numerous fires broke out in Iasi. On July 9, 1822, the Turks set fire to a house on the bank of Bahluiului, and due to the strong wind, the fire spread to the monasteries of Cetățui and Galata, which were destroyed by the flames.
Due to bad administration and fires, at the beginning of the last century, the Cetățuia monastery was in ruins. The repairs carried out between 1827 and 1837, as well as those in 1844, were not enough, however.
The restoration of the entire building complex at the monastery began in 1910 and was completed two years later. During this process, the towers of the church were covered with pyramidal structures similar to those of the church of the Three Hierarchs, according to the model proposed by Lecomte de Nouy, but they were later replaced by round roofs.
The manor house, built by Duke Voda for his court, has the usual features of 17th-century princely and boyar houses, except that the raised ground floor is located above an empty space, in which various secret galleries and rooms have been arranged can be defended individually. Thus, the building contributes to the general defense system, being an element of last resistance after the fall of the premises into the hands of the enemies.
The abbess, on the south side of the courtyard, is smaller than the manor house and consists of a single high ground floor and a two-story cellar. Its architecture has general Byzantine influences, with the predominance of Gothic elements in ornamentation. The thickness of the stone walls reaches up to 1.40 m.
Inside the abbess, the Gothic hall, known as the refectory, has been preserved intact and represents the most valuable architectural element of Duca Vodă's foundation.
The monastery church, completed in 1672, is considered a mere copy of the Three Hierarchs church in terms of plan, structure and elevation. However, it is distinguished by the complete absence of elaborate sculptural ornamentation on the outside, showing great sobriety and measure, reflecting a safer architectural taste and a more balanced conception in the spirit of the tradition of Moldovan architecture.
Similar to Trei Hierarhi, the structure of the church includes a nave with two side entrances, the pronaos separated from the nave by three arches, side apses in a circular arch to the nave on the inside and polygonal on the inside, and an altar with the same shape as the side apses, but more spacious. The dimensions of the church are almost identical to those of Trei Hierarhi, having the length, width and height of similar monuments. The two towers have the same arrangement as at the Three Hierarchs. Both churches have 7 buttresses on the outside, two registers separated by a twisted girdle, two-story windows at the upper register, as well as star drums at the bases of the towers. The differences between these churches consist in the more simplified vaults of the Cetătăuia, the absence of the second reduction in the diameter of the spires, present at Trei Hierarhi, and the stone girdle, better highlighted, framed by an ornamented frieze with carved leaves in relief, the buttresses place below the belt and the upper register frets more discreet than in the Three Hierarchs.
The interior painting, made in 1673, was restored in the 19th century. The precision of the drawing, the humanity of the gestures and compositions, as well as the richness of the decorative elements are noteworthy.
Gheorghe Duca is buried in this church.
The princely kitchen (kitchen) is the only one of its kind left in our country, highlighted by the cylindrical lantern tower that dominates the upper part of the building.
Source: Iași Municipality and surroundings (Ministry of Tourism, 1980)
