The Monastic Settlement of Şinca Veche – Bastion of Defense of Orthodoxy: Documentary Attestations The historical context described above shows how important it was to organize an Orthodox resistance at the foot of the Carpathians. The pious peasants of these villages, who kept alive the spiritual ties with the Romanian Orthodoxy across the mountains, founded monasteries along the entire Olt River around the villages of Şara Făgăraşului, thus staunchly defending the ancestral law, strengthening the unity of spirit across temporary borders, giving the people the education permitted by harsh circumstances and many enemies, copying and taking church and folk books from free lands to enslaved ones, contributing essentially to the formation of the literary language and to the cultural unity of all Romanians. The privileged geographical position of the village of Şinca, located at the confluence of the roads to Wallachia, also determined the organization of political and religious life in this locality. Monks, priests and hierarchs from the south of the Carpathians stopped to strengthen the Orthodox faith in this village under the mountain, which until the second half of the 15th century was under the rule of the Wallachian lords. The situation in this village changed radically after 1462 when it came under Hungarian administrative authority, eventually becoming a border village, which would determine a total reorganization of the social and religious configuration of this settlement. Thus, in the context of a determined religious resistance against the unification imposed by the Austro-Hungarian authorities and a firm refusal to enlist in the border regiments, part of the population left this village and founded another settlement a few kilometers away towards the mountain, a settlement they called Şinca Nouă.

The phenomenon of displacement did not occur immediately after the signing of the religious union with Rome in 1701, nor did the attribution of the old church in Şinca to the “united” people cause all the villagers to move to Wallachia or to move to the new village. The majority of the inhabitants (Orthodox) remained in their old home, living their spiritual life in the old places or building new ones. In this context, the existence, at the end of the 18th century, of five monastic settlements around this village must also be understood, with the clear aim of strengthening Orthodox Christians in the faith. The following will present the main documentary evidence regarding the monasteries in the area of ​​the village of Şinca Veche to indicate that the inhabitants of this area of ​​Transylvania knew in the most difficult moments to turn to the spiritual, but also cultural and material support that the monks always offered to the Romanian people.

At Şinca Veche, on Pleşu Hill, you can visit a new building on an ancient site. The place is sanctified and blessed by God, thanks to the effort and prayer carved into the rock by the monks who were forced into the cave monastery, during the religious persecution in Transylvania, in the 18th century. Fulfilling the prayer of the saints, to return this place to the service of God, the Monastery was founded in 2006, at the initiative of the Orthodox - Cultural Foundation "Holy Mother - Unexpected Joy" and with the donation of the monastic house and the related land, in 2014, all this spiritual and material effort could then be capitalized by the community of this monastery. The "Saint Hierarch Nektarios" chapel bears this patron saint because it houses a part of the relics of Saint Nektarios, along with a small fragment of the wood of the Holy Cross and other holy relics. Every year, on November 9, Christians celebrate Saint Nectarius the Wonderworker, a saint known among pilgrims as a quick helper in suffering and serious illnesses. The "Saint Hierarch Nectarius" chapel was consecrated on December 16, 2006 by His Eminence Dr. Laurenţiu Streza, Metropolitan of Transylvania, together with a council of priests and many faithful pilgrims. By God's order, since 2009, the monastery is formed by a monastic community of nuns, who, under the patronage of His Eminence Dr. Laurenţiu Streza, keep alive this hermit's hearth at the foot of the Carpathians. Visiting the monastic settlement at Şinca Veche, the peace and quiet of this place will enlighten and reconcile the souls of those who pray here with faith.

Daily schedule 07.00 -22.00 (Romanian time) Departure location - Brașov

Discover the beauties of Transylvania in an unforgettable adventure in the Romanian countryside by choosing a private tour or planning your own tour as you like. Call or send a message on whatsapp. 0040771238939