Horezu Monastery

Horezu Monastery, in Vâlcea County at the foot of the Carpathians, is the masterpiece of the Brâncovenesc style, the distinctive Romanian architecture that flowered under Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu who founded it in 1690. Renowned for its architectural purity and balance, the monastery is celebrated for the richness of its carved and painted decoration: elaborate stone and wood sculpture, votive portraits, and religious compositions executed by a famed school of mural and icon painters that trained artists across the Balkans. Its harmonious ensemble of church, cloisters, chapels and later buildings sits within white-walled precincts amid orchards and forest. The site remains an active convent and a centre of Orthodox art and craftsmanship. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993, Horezu is regarded as one of the finest religious complexes of 17th- and 18th-century Wallachia.