Photos of Colț Monastery (Mănăstirea Colț)
About Colț Monastery (Mănăstirea Colț)
Mănăstirea Colț is a small stone church sitting at the northern foot of the Retezat mountains. It sits tucked away in the trees along the road running up the valley toward Retezat National Park as an amazing hidden gem. The Cândea family built it in the early 1300s with a unique design featuring both a square defensive tower raised over the altar and a pyramid of stone for its roof. It was left empty during the 1600s and used mainly as a cattle shed for decades. In the 1980s it was rebuilt and returned to its original roots as a chapel for the monks who live here now. The tower stands tall above the clearing drawing your eye as soon as you get close. That full view captures the character and unique design of this church. The stone is rough and hand cut so low angled light brings out the texture and the buttresses. Inside is dark and the medieval painting survives only in patches, best in the altar, so you'll need to use a fast lens and a high ISO. Make sure to ask the monks before you shoot indoors, sections are sacred and photography isn't always allowed. Wooded slopes fill the background from most angles, adding to the isolated and historic feel of your compositions. There is no admission charge. Parking is a handful of roadside spaces on the DJ686, and the last stretch up the valley is rough going, so take it slowly. Cetatea Colț, the ruined fortress the church takes its name from, stands on a rock across the stream and is worth exploring after you are done capturing this site. (Suseni, Hunedoara, Romania)
