The Prislop Monastery - where miracles really happen

Although the most famous monasteries in Romania are located in Moldavia, there are a few beautiful ones in Transylvania as well. One of them – perhaps the most important in Transylvania – is the Prislop Monastery. It is located in the village Silvaşu de Sus, in Hunedoara County, at the foot of the Parâng Mountains and is at the midst of the most beautiful scenery comprising the forests of Silvaşu and a spring that is supposed to cure diseases.

The first hermits started to settle in this area between the 13th and 15th centuries. They came from other monasteries in the vicinity, like the Râmeţ Monastery in the Apuseni Mountains or the Hodoş-Bodrog Monastery on the Mureş Valley, and took up residence in wooden huts in the forest. They built a small church, also made from wood, in the valley of the Prislop River, where they used to pray. It was called the Prislop Hermitage or the Saint John the Theologian Hermitage.

Sometime between the years 1377 and 1378, the hermitage went under the tutelage of Saint Nicodim of the Tismana Monastery. In 1400, for reasons unknown, Nicodim moved to Prislop for a few years and during his time here, he renovated the church with resources from Mircea the Elder and brought over about 30 hermits. Between the years 1564 - 1580, the monastery was rebuilt from the ground up by Zamfira, the daughter of Moise Voivod from Wallachia, at which point, it also acquired the status of monastery.

Zamfira took refuge in Transylvania after her father had died and heard about the Prislop Monastery and the healing powers of the spring. She was so impressed with the church that she decided to restore it. After her husband died, she took up permanent residence at the monastery until her own death in 1580. The monastery had a turbulent history, being nearly destroyed on many occasions, but it was always brought back to life. Today, it is one of the most visited monasteries in Transylvania, especially because of the connection to father Arsenie Boca, a renowned theologian and monk, and because of an icon that is believed to do miracles.

Sources:

“Istoricul Mănăstirii Prislop”, Arsenie Boca, Available at: http://www.arsenieboca.ro/istoricul-manastirii-prislop, Accessed: 09.18.2015.

“Mănăstirea Prislop”, Creştin Ortodox, Available at: http://www.crestinortodox.ro/biserici-manastiri/manastirea-prislop-67979.html, Accessed: 09.18.2015.

“Mănăstirea Prislop (Silvaşul de Sus)”, Creştin Ortodox, Available at: http://www.crestinortodox.ro/biserici-manastiri/manastirea-prislop-silvasul-sus-67792.html, Accessed: 09.18.2015.