Armenian monastery of Suceava
The Armenian monastery of Suceava also known as "Zamca" is a monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church dating back to the 15th century. It is located in Suceava in northern Romania, in the region of Bukovina.
The Armenian monastery was completed in the early part of the 15th century during the reign of Moldavian Hospodar Alexandru I Mușat). It was constructed with the intent of being the bishop's seat for the local Armenian church in 1401 which was founded by Alexandru I. Saint Auxentius Church was designed to be the center of the complex. The church was renovated or rebuilt in 1606, at which time a number of other structures were added, among them the belltower, the gate, as well as a residential structure with a chapel to Gregory the Illuminator which all survive into to the present day. The interior of the church was decorated with murals in the 18th century.
When James Louis Sobieski attempted to ascend to the Moldavian throne, his base of operations was the Armenian monastery of Suceava. Beginning in 1690, the monastery became the headquarters of the Polish Army for all of their operations in Moldavia related to Poland's participation in the War of the Holy League against the Ottoman Empire. Staying at the monastery for several years, the Poles built an extensive network of bastion fortifications which are well preserved to this day. The popular name of the monastery, "Zamca", likely comes from this period and is derived from zamek, the Polish word for castle.
