# Brâncoveni Monastery

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Oltenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/oltenia) › [Olt County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/olt) › [Brâncoveni](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/brancoveni)

> A convent in Olt, in the village that Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu came from: defensive wall and bell tower of 1634–1640, a Brâncovenesc great church of 1699, and a museum with a lapidary.

**At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Brâncoveni, Olt County. The visit takes ½ – 1 hours. Information verified on 10 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** The monastery publishes no visiting hours, and the museum is visited on request (CIMEC museum guide); call 0249 417 244 before you travel. As a working convent, visits must not disturb the services.
- **Visit duration:** ½ – 1 hours — churches, museum and lapidary
- **With kids:** Yes — modest dress and quiet
- **Best season:** April – October — feast day on 15 August
- **Address:** Strada Mânăstirii, Brâncoveni village, ~20 km south-west of Slatina, Brâncoveni, Olt County
- **Coordinates:** 44.30395, 24.30623
- **Phone:** +40 249 417 244
- **Website:** https://www.episcopiaslatinei.ro/manastiri/m-brancoveni/
- **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%83n%C4%83stirea_Br%C3%A2ncoveni
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12736187
- **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici), [Museums and memorial houses](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzee-si-case-memoriale)

## About Brâncoveni Monastery

Brâncoveni Monastery stands in the village of the same name on the Caracal Plain, on the Brâncoveanu family estate, the home of Prince Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu. Monastic life here is old: tradition records a rebuilding in 1494 by the Craiovești boyars, and the oldest surviving document, a donation, dates from 1583. In 1634–1640 Matei Basarab and his nephew Preda Brâncoveanu, grandfather of Constantin Brâncoveanu, rebuilt the foundation with cells, princely houses, cellars, defensive walls and a bell tower, in thanks for a cure obtained with the water of the spring within the precinct.

The great church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, was built in 1699 in place of the small one, on the initiative of Constantin Brâncoveanu, by his sons Constantin and Ștefan, who laid the foundation stone; it was consecrated on 15 August 1699 and its painting was finished in 1704. A year later the infirmary church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel was added, painted by craftsmen from the Hurezi school. After the secularisation of monastic estates in 1864 the community dwindled to a few monks, and in 1959 the monastery was dissolved and turned into an old people's home. It reopened as a convent in 1985, and between 2020 and 2022 the ensemble was restored with European funds.

### What you can see

The great church, white, cross-shaped and in the Brâncovenesc style, has an open porch on carved stone columns, and the tombs of members of the Brâncoveanu family lie in the narthex and the porch. From Matei Basarab's time the bell tower, the abbot's house and part of the precinct wall survive. The monastery museum is in the former princely houses, with liturgical pieces in precious metals, icons, old books and a Brâncoveanu treasure of eight pieces by Brașov silversmiths. In the princely cellars is a lapidary with pieces from churches and monasteries demolished in Bucharest under communism. Outside the precinct is the healing spring.

### Good to know

It is a working convent with about 36 nuns. The museum is visited on request and the monastery publishes no opening hours: call 0249 417 244 before you go.

## Don't miss

- The great church of 1699, with its porch on carved stone columns.
- The bell tower and wall from Matei Basarab's time.
- The tombs of the Brâncoveanu family in the narthex and porch of the church.
- The museum in the princely houses, with the Brâncoveanu treasure of Brașov silverware.
- The lapidary in the cellars, with pieces from Bucharest churches demolished under communism.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** the monastery is in the village of Brâncoveni, on the DN64 Slatina–Caracal road, ~20 km south-west of Slatina (~25 minutes) and ~25 km from Caracal. From Craiova it is ~100 km (~1¾ hours), from Bucharest ~190 km (~2½–3 hours, via Pitești and Slatina).

**Public transport:** the nearest halt is Pârșcoveni, on the Piatra Olt–Caracal railway line, ~6 km from the monastery; you will need a taxi from there. It is simpler to take the Slatina–Caracal bus or minibus and get off in Brâncoveni commune, but check the times beforehand.

### Fees & discounts

Neither the monastery nor the Diocese of Slatina and Romanați publishes prices for visiting the museum; ask at the gate.

### Rules

Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, women with their heads covered in the church. Keep quiet within the walls and switch phones off during services. Photography in the church and the museum only with the nuns' permission.

### Facilities

museum in the princely houses · lapidary in the cellars · healing spring outside the precinct · library

## Details

- **Construction period:** 1634–1640, 1699
- **Founder:** Matei Basarab, Brâncoveanu family
- **Dedication:** Dormition of the Mother of God
- **Denomination:** Orthodox
- **Architectural style:** Brâncovenesc
- **Collection type:** religious art

## Frequently asked questions about Brâncoveni Monastery

**How long does a visit to Brâncoveni Monastery take?**

A visit to Brâncoveni Monastery takes about ½ – 1 hours (churches, museum and lapidary).

**Can you visit Brâncoveni Monastery with kids?**

Yes, Brâncoveni Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).

**How do I get to Brâncoveni Monastery?**

Brâncoveni Monastery is located at Strada Mânăstirii, Brâncoveni village, ~20 km south-west of Slatina, Brâncoveni, Olt County. By car: the monastery is in the village of Brâncoveni, on the DN64 Slatina–Caracal road, ~20 km south-west of Slatina (~25 minutes) and ~25 km from Caracal. From Craiova it is ~100 km (~1¾ hours), from Bucharest ~190 km (~2½–3 hours, via Pitești and Slatina). Public transport: the nearest halt is Pârșcoveni, on the Piatra Olt–Caracal railway line, ~6 km from the monastery; you will need a taxi from there. It is simpler to take the Slatina–Caracal bus or minibus and get off in Brâncoveni commune, but check the times beforehand.

**When is the best time to visit Brâncoveni Monastery?**

The best season for Brâncoveni Monastery: April – October (feast day on 15 August).

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Last updated: 10 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania