The Lupșa Monastery, dedicated to the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross”, is one of the most important tourist objects of Alba county, having a spiritual role for the nearby villages as well. It is located in a corner of nature, being surrounded on all sides by mountains. In this place, there is also the “St. Nicholas” church, considered to be the oldest wooden church in Transylvania. Little data has been preserved about the beginnings of this monastery. It is known, however, that the stone church was founded in 1421, and eight years later, the oak church. The founder was even the boyar Stanislav, who came from the family of prince Cândea de Lupșa.
h
How do you get here
The access is very simple, because it is on the Abrud-Câmpeni-Turda national road. From Câmpeni, follow the signs for Turda (or Baia de Aries). The monastery is located 10 km from Campeni, in the village of Mănăstire and belongs to the commune of Lupșa.
Monastic life, oppressed by the Habsburgs
In those days, the monastery had only a few monks, who led their lives in fasting and prayer. They kept in touch with the monasteries in Moldova and Maramureș, from where they brought books for the service. The monastic life in the lodge lasted only until 1820, when, due to Habsburg pressure, the monastery was abolished and the monks were expelled. A church school also operated here where young people were trained to become priests or singers. Unfortunately, this school was closed and later moved to the village. The monks were teachers, priests and clergy both for those who were studying books and for the villagers of Valea Ariesului. A workshop for church painting on glass also operated here. click
The miracle-working icon
At the beginning of the 21st century, the monastery receives, from Archimandrite Ephrem, from the Vatopedu Monastery, from Mount Ahtos, a wooden particle of the Holy Cross and a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God “Paramythia the Comforter”. It is a copy of the icon from the Monastery of Athos, but it performed at least as many miracles as the one in Greece. Moreover, the monks here regularly go on pilgrimages to Greece and to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, in Essex, (Great Britain). Also at Lupşa is a part of the relics of Saint Siluan the Athonite, the relics of Saints Haralambie, Hariton, Evdochim, Iosif and Paraschevi.