Rila Monastery In Bulgaria

Rila Monastery - Bulgaria

Short Report

Rila monastery was founded in the 10th century by St. John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. Are ascetic home and grave was a holy place and were transformed into a a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire in the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A typical example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18TH- 19th century), the monument represents the awareness of a Slavonic cultural identity after centuries of occupation.

Outstanding Universal Value

In the complex ten-century history the Rila monastery is the center of a strong mental and artistic influence on the eastern orthodox world during middle ages 11 14TH c. ).  Of the Ottoman Empire (1400-1878) the monastery influenced the development of art and culture of all Christian nations within the Ottoman Empire. With its architecture, frescoes, etc. it is a masterpiece of the creative genius of the Bulgarian population. Architectural Styles are preserved in the field as historical monuments of considerable period 11c.  19). The most important architectural design is currently one of the best examples of craftsmanship of the Balkan peoples from the early 19th c. As such it has exerted considerable influence on architecture and design in the Balkan region. Rila monastery is considered as a symbol of the 19th Century Bulgarian Renaissance which imparted Slavic values of Rila in trying to restore a continuous historical continuity.

Integrity

There are no substantial changes in the integrity of the property since the inscription on the World Heritage list. Scheduled conservation work, which also include the medieval and renaissance wood carving and murals in its churches and chapels of the monastery complex, to ensure that this good. Protection of the Monastery of 'load' is also of great importance. A series of permanent geological engineering comments are pursued, with corresponding report recommendations for 'earth-structure' strengthened. On the basis of these results, conservation and restoration will be determined. A development plan has been drawn up, it will make proposals for improvement of the communication and the technical infrastructure for the maintenance of the property.

Authenticity

Rila monastery is the most important spiritual and literary center of the Bulgarian national revival, with a continuous history from the Middle Ages to the present. Reconstruction was necessary after a fire, and parts of the monastery, a new church and other structures dating back to the 18th century. The property fully agree with authenticity requirements with regard to location, context, concept, the use, the function and the tradition, in which the spirit and the feeling of the site are also well preserved.

Wide Report

Rila monastery, the oldest in the Slav world and is still the most active religious center in Bulgaria, is first and foremost an exceptionally fine artistic complex, which harmoniously merge architecture and painting. In addition to this, in the last few centuries the seat of the development, conservation and dissemination of Slavic religious culture in all its different forms, such as literary and artistic and was the symbol of the Bulgarian cultural identity that was constantly threatened by Turkish domination.

The monastery is situated approximately 120 km from Sofia, in the heart of the Rila massif, located on the north-western end of the Rodopi mountains, a beautiful mountain area with peaks up to almost 3000 m. In this area, which is still covered by forests in AD 876-946, attended the hermit Ivan Rilski (Saint John of Mila), The apostle of the Slavonic peoples. A new building was built on a few kilometers from the place of the first foundation, and was completed in the 15th century thanks to the donations of Stefan Hrelyu, a powerful local prince who ordered in 1355 the construction of the tower that still bears his name and a church dedicated to John of Rila, now canonized.

During the Ottoman Turkish occupation of Bulgaria, the monastery took the role of bastion of national identity in the face of foreign occupation. It was a destination for pilgrimages from all corners of the Balkans, especially after 1469, when the relics of the holy. The complex also serve this function in the centuries that followed, especially in the 18th and 19th century, when it was one of the major powers of the Bulgarian Renaissance. This period is documented by the beautiful cross that has been preserved in the museum of the monastery, and decorated with more than 100 biblical scenes by the monk Raphael, one of the leading figures of the movement.

The existing structures, with the exception of the Hrelyu Tower, dating back to the 19th-century building project. They occupy a vast area that an irregular square, with two inputs, both decorated with frescoes. The building that around contains four chapels, a dining room and 300 cells, a library, and rooms for the guests of the monastery. The complex features a courtyard forgotten by three- and four-storey buildings, embellished by orders of arches on stone columns that pooling their facades and airy loggias. This is enlivened by the chromatic interplay between the white of the plaster and the red and black tones of the bricks.

The Hrelyu tower is a compact building 23 m high, square. The highest of the five levels contains a chapel dedicated to the glorification and decorated by a series frescoes that are carried out in the second half of the 14th century: in the nave are illustrated stories of Saint John of Rila. Of the building built in the 19th century, the most important is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, built in 1833 on the structure of the previous building. The church houses a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis, carried out in 1842 by Her Taladuro of Thessalonica and many frescoes. The cultural heritage in the convent is not limited to the buildings, but also extends to compressed air applications with artwork and documents which constitute a valuable testimony of Bulgarian culture; they are mainly located in the museum and in the library.

Source:whc/unesco