| Building Name: | Trivale Monastery |
| Native Name: | Mănăstirea Trivale |
| Native Name Lang: | ro |
| Location: | Pitești, Argeș County, Romania |
| Coordinates: | 44.853°N 24.8485°W |
| Religious Affiliation: | Eastern Orthodox |
| Functional Status: | Active |
| Patron: | Holy Trinity |
| Architecture: | yes |
| Groundbreaking: | XVII-XIX centuries |
| Materials: | Albești stone, brick |
The Trivale Monastery (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Mănăstirea Trivale) is a monastery located in Trivale Park in the city of Pitești. It serves as a place of tranquility and prayer for all the faithful who visit.
Historical sources support the fact that Trivale Monastery was founded by Trifan and Stanca Stăncescu in the second half of the 15th century, known at that time as the "Stăncescu Monastery".[1]
Legend has it that the monastery temporarily housed the head of Michael the Brave (1593-1601) before it was taken to Dealu Monastery. It is known that Doamna Stanca owned numerous properties around Pitești, so the hypothesis of her presence here is plausible. The enlightened monk Ioan Cantacuzino, who copied "The Life and Habits of Our Holy Father Nifon, Patriarch of Constantinople," written by Gavril Protul in 1682, lived here. This document is important for the history of Wallachia.
Originally, there was a wooden church on the site, which was rebuilt in stone during the reign of Matei Basarab. However, between 1670 and 1673, the church fell into ruins and was reconstructed once again in stone and brick by . This is evidenced by an inscription found in 1895 during the construction of a road. During the same period, the abbot's houses, cells, enclosing walls, and bell tower were also built. The entire complex was constructed between 1672 and 1688.
Ascending the steps carved in stone from Albești and passing under the bell tower, one reaches the church of the monastery. The church preserves interior frescoes painted by Ioasaf Grecu in 1731.
Devastated by the earthquake of 1827, the monastery was rebuilt between 1854 and 1856 by Archimandrite Terotei. What can be seen today is the result of the restoration work carried out from 1854 to 1856. Only the foundations and walls from Varlaam's foundation remained until the raising of the belt. Trivale Monastery was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1940, with the works between 1942 and 1944 being coordinated by the Argeș Bishopric.
During the communist period, Trivale Monastery did not function and remained closed. It was reopened in 1991. It currently serves as a monastery, dedicated to the Holy Trinity.[2]
Within the premises of Trivale Monastery, the practice of exorcism is also observed. One notable success story is that of a 36-year-old woman who was healed during the summer of 1999.[3]
Trivale Monastery is situated in a picturesque natural setting. Within the enchanting monastery garden, one can find the church, a wayside cross, the bell tower, and the cells adorned with garlands of flowers.
Trivale Monastery is an oasis of tranquility amidst the bustling city, just a few steps away. It is a place of pilgrimage for many believers who come here daily to pray and to feast their eyes and souls on the spiritually charged natural beauty.
One of the significant sources of evidence is the recording of Pitești under the name "Pitesi coenobium" in the first cartographic depiction of Transylvania, the map "Transilvania" created by J. Sambucus in 1566 in Vienna. This highlights the considerable importance of the monastery complex, which became a distinctive landmark of the city.
Frequently mentioned in the accounts of foreign travelers, Trivale Monastery is attested in the report of Bulgarian missionary Petru Bogdan Bacsic from the year 1640: "The city has beautiful churches, a monastery of monks, and 200 Romanian houses, which means about a thousand souls." Italian archaeologist and numismatist Domenico Sestini, during his visit in May 1780, noted the existence of approximately 250 houses, including many boyar houses, 17 churches, and a monastery in Pitești. The following year, Franz Joseph Sulzer, the secretary of Prince Alexandru Ipsilanti, recorded the presence of eight churches, a monastery, and several boyar houses in the town of Pitești.[4]