Golia Monastery in Iași: walls, seven towers and a city landmark
Golia Monastery (Mănăstirea Golia) is a walled Romanian Orthodox monastery in the heart of Iași, in north-eastern Romania, rebuilt by Prince Vasile Lupu in the 1650s. Its church with seven towers, its high walls and its 30-metre tower make it one of the most striking monuments of the old Moldavian capital, and well worth a detour on a city stroll.
Golia looks like a medieval fortress, and in a way it was one: its 9-metre walls were meant to defend a monastery, and its tower of 120 steps is still one of the symbols of Iași.
The history of Golia Monastery
The monastery takes its name from Ioan Golia, great logofăt (chancellor) of Moldavia, who around 1550 founded a small stone church on a spot where a wooden church had stood. According to one account, he and his wife Ana built it on what was then the edge of Iași. In 1606 Ana and their son Mihail gave the church to the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, and from then on it was a monastery, with mostly Greek monks.
The old church had grown badly decayed when Prince Vasile Lupu decided to rebuild it on a far greater scale. The work began in 1650 and the reconstruction lasted until 1653, and the church was finished in 1660 by his son Ștefăniță. The result is unusual for Moldavia. It blends late Renaissance and Byzantine ideas, with tall Corinthian pilasters of over 12 metres and a roof crowned by seven different towers, which suggests they were built in stages. The church is about 30 metres tall, 40 metres long and 13 metres wide.
The whole complex is protected like a fortress. A wall some 9 metres high and more than a metre thick runs round it, with an inner ledge on which guards once patrolled, and corner turrets were added in 1667. In those centuries monasteries often took over the defensive role of fortresses, and Golia remains the clearest example in Iași. The belfry tower was rebuilt in 1900.
The monastery had a turbulent life. Tsar Peter I is recorded as visiting in 1711. A fire in the reign of Constantin Mavrocordat, between 1733 and 1735, destroyed almost half of Iași, and an earthquake in 1738 brought down the upper part of the church, which was later repaired. In 1863 church lands were secularised, the monastic community was dissolved and the buildings fell into decay. The church was closed in 1900 and restored between 1943 and 1947.
Golia has been brought back to life in modern times. In 1955 the Ion Creangă museum opened beside the church, because the writer lived in a house in the grounds while serving as a deacon here. The monastery was refounded in 1992, a printing press opened that year and a radio station followed in 1998. In 2012 its conservation was awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage, the Europa Nostra Award.
Curiosities about Golia Monastery
- The tower is about 30 metres high, has 120 steps and a square base five metres wide. Climbing it gives a panorama of Iași, and it counts among the symbols of the city.
- The writer Ion Creangă was a deacon at Golia and lived for a time in an 18th-century house with columns that still stands in the grounds. The monastery houses a museum devoted to him.
- The roof carries seven towers, all different from one another, which suggests they were added gradually during different phases and restorations.
- Near the tower stands a fountain from the time of Alexandru Moruzi.
- A former prince of Moldavia died at the monastery in 1726, and Tsar Peter I visited it in 1711.
- The conservation of Golia won the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage, the Europa Nostra Award, in 2012.
Tours near Golia Monastery
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Golia Monastery: what to see
- Walk round the church to study its Corinthian pilasters, cornice and seven towers, then step inside to see the traditional layout of porch, pronaos, nave and altar.
- The tower is the best-known feature: a climb of 120 steps leads to the upper gallery and terraces with a view across Iași.
- In the grounds, look for the Ion Creangă museum and the 18th-century house with columns where the writer lived, and for the walls with their corner turrets.
- Trei Ierarhi Monastery is about 1 km away, the Lions’ Obelisk about 2 km and Cetățuia Monastery about 4 km, so several sights can be combined on one walk.
- It is a working place of worship, so dress and behave respectfully and check the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Golia Monastery is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Golia Monastery
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Questions
Where is Golia Monastery?
It stands in the Târgul Cucu area, in the centre of Iași, the old capital of Moldavia in north-eastern Romania.
Who built Golia Monastery?
A first stone church was founded around 1550 by the chancellor Ioan Golia. Prince Vasile Lupu rebuilt it between 1650 and 1653, and his son Ștefăniță finished it in 1660.
How many steps does the Golia tower have?
The tower is about 30 metres high and has 120 steps. From the top you can look out over Iași.
Why does Golia Monastery have such high walls?
It was built as a fortified monastery, with walls about 9 metres high and corner turrets raised in 1667. At the time monasteries often took over the defensive role of fortresses.
What is the Ion Creangă museum at Golia?
The museum opened in 1955 in the monastery, because the writer Ion Creangă served here as a deacon and lived for a time in a house in the grounds.
What can you see near Golia Monastery?
Trei Ierarhi Monastery is about 1 km away, the Lions’ Obelisk about 2 km and Cetățuia Monastery about 4 km.
Also nearby
Trei Ierarhi Monastery
Iași · the church with façades carved like lace
650 m away
Lions’ Obelisk
Iași · four lions and an obelisk in Copou Park
2.5 km away
Cetățuia Monastery
Iași · fortified monastery on a hill above the city
3.5 km away
Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni
Iași · metal border bridge over the Prut, Bridge of Flowers
15 km away