The monastery “St. Troitsa” /”Varovitets”/ is located 5 km northeast of the city of Etropole, in a beautiful area with centuries-old trees, a river and a waterfall. It was founded in the 12th century, according to some reports in 1158. In 1858, the old monastery church was demolished and the construction of the present one began. At the end of the 16th and especially in the 17th century, a literary-educational, calligraphy-artistic and icon-painting school arose in Etropolis and the “Varovites” monastery, which is evidenced by numerous monuments, which turned them into the most significant cultural – an educational center in Northern Bulgaria. A large number of liturgical books are copied and ornamented here / about 76 volumes, stored in different places – National Library “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, Church History Museum, etc. Scribes, grammarians-writers created their own style, called Etropolis calligraphic semi-status.
In the 16th-17th centuries, an icon-painting studio operated in the monastery, with more than 30 icons preserved to this day. Among them is the patron icon “St. Trinity” – the first medieval icon known in our country, signed by its author, the painter Nedyalko from Lovech, and dated from 1598. The monastery complex was restored in the 60s – 70s of the 20th century. In 1977, it was discovered here museum exhibition – a branch of the Historical Museum in the city of Etropole, and it was renovated in 1992. Visitors can see the hiding place in the monastery’s attic, made by Abbot Chrysant for Vasil Levski. In the “Etropole Book School” hall with authentic museum copies the activity is presented in manuscripts.
Work time:
Opening hours:
April – October: 7:00 – 19:00 November – March: 8:00 – 17:00
Talks: – free of charge.
Contacts:
Tel: +359 887 982089
