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Rudi-Arionesti monastery.
In the picturesque valley in the North of Moldova at the right back of Dniester, on the territory of the national park of Rudi - Arionesti there is a monastic ensemble of Saint Trinity built in the second half of the XVIIth century. The dominating element of this ensemble is the church built in 1772 having the same name as the monastery. Around the church various subsidiary structures are located such as the abbot's house, the refectory, cells and dwelling premises. Only the orchard and the bee garden are situated beyond the monastery.
According to its layout the monastery church is a true successor of traditions of ancient Moldavian structures. All the three apses - the eastern, the southern and the northern ones are of the same diameter and height. The narthex is more elongated since it is separated from the naos by a triple arcade.
Inside the bulk of the western wall there is a staircase leading to the choir gallery. Ancient inscriptions are made on the northern altar wall. The ancient iconostasis created by local craftsmen is mounted between the naos and altar. On many interior walls fragments of murals performed in the fresco method still can be seen.
Gelati Monastery
The Monastery of the Virgin - Gelati near Kutaisi (Imereti region of Western Georgia) was founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder (1089-1125) in 1106.
The Gelati Monastery for a long time was one of the main cultural and intellectual centers in Georgia. It had an Academy which employed some of the most celebrated Georgian scientists, theologians and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various orthodox monasteries abroad or at the Mangan Academy in Constantinople. Among the scientists were such celebrated scholars as Ioane Petritsi and Arsen Ikaltoeli.
Due to the extensive work carried out by the Gelati Academy, people of the time called it "a new Hellas" and "a second Athos".
The Gelati Monastery has preserved a great number of murals and manuscripts dating back to the 12th-17th centuries.
In Gelati is buried one of the greatest Georgian kings, David the Builder (Davit Agmashenebeli in Georgian).
Snagov, Romania.
On a tiny island in a lake just outside of Bucharest stands Snagov Monastery which, according to local tradition,Vlad the Impaler is buried. Vald Tepes is the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Originally founded in the 14th century and later excavated in 1933, the monastery is a simple and typical Orthodox church with many historic frescoes of bible stories and local history (mome of Vlad). Supposedly after his notoriously cruel lifetime, Vlad Tepes III was buried in the church as per his request prior to his death.
The last monastery in Bukovina we visited. We got there just before a large group of tourists arrived, so for a few minutes at least if was very peaceful.
[D2_03650]
In de christelijke iconografie is een tros druiven het symbool van het Laatste Avondmaal en daarmee van het bloed van Jezus Christus.
We hadden het geluk om een namiddagdienst bij te wonen. Priesters werken en studeren ter plaatse. Voor de lokale en heel devote bevolking is er steeds een priester in de dichte nabijheid.
The monastery of Tatev (Armenian : Տաթեվ, Russian: Татев) - established in 895 - is located in the Tatev village. The term "Tatev" usually refers to the monastery. The monastery always performed an important role in the history of the region, becoming its political, spiritual and cultural center.
The Songzanlin Monastery was built between 1681 and 1697 as a copy of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It is one of the biggest Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in the Yunan province.
Maulbronn Monastery was founded in 1147. The church, built in a style transitional from Romanesque to Gothic, was consecrated in 1178. Most other buildings followed within the 13th century. The complex is believed to be one of the the best-preserved medieval Cistercian monastery complex north of the Alpes (some claim "in Europe"). Since 1993 Maulbronn is part of the Unesco World Heritage.
After the consecration, the construction of the abbey continued. Around 1200 the narthex was added and the cloister was started. Some buildings are done in a really remarkable architectural, early gothic style. The person, who built that must have had experiences from Northern France and Burgundy. With all the cistercian connections, it was probably easy to find a medieval "top architect". His name is not known. The name given to him by art historians is "Meister des Maulbronner Paradieses" (Master of Maulbronn Paradise).
He created not only the narthex ("Paradies"), but as well parts of the cloister and the refectorium. After completing his job in Maulbronn he turned northeast. His typical works can be found as well in Halberstadt and in Magdeburg, but here is, where he started his career in Germany..
Within the cloister, it is visible, where "Meister des Maulbronner Paradieses" planned and built, as there (near the church) is a very early gothic style. Walking from there the style of the arches changes to high gothic.
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Just a connecting alley between the cloister and the "Infirmatorium", where the sick members of the convent were kept and cared for. This may have been used as well as a chapel and parlatory. The Gothic style reticulated vaulting is just incredible. It looks like a geometrical function.
西藏－山南－桑耶寺－乌策大殿
The main assembly hall of Samye Monastery in Drannang county, Shannan (Lhoka) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
The Samye Monastery (Samye Gompa) is the first buddhist monastery built in Tibet, established in 763 AD under the patronage of Tibetan king Trisong Detsen.
© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong.
The Ngong Ping 360, consisting of the Ngong Ping village and a gondola lift running between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, was built near to the Po Lin Monastery.The monastery has boasting many prominent architectural structures, such as the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha, the Hall of Bodhisattva Skanda.
The monastery was founded in 1906 by three Zen masters of Jin Shan Monastery of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province in China who had travelled south to Lantau Island to spread the Buddhist doctrine. The monastery was originally simply a stone thatched house without a name (Sometimes referred to as "The Big Hut") but as more and more monks gathered there a large hut was built to accommodate them. At the invitation of the three Zen masters, Monk Jixiu of Jin Shan Monastery became the first abbot in 1924 changed the name of the hut to “Po Lin Monastery”, Po Lin meaning “Precious Lotus”.
One of the monastery's former abbots was the eminent monk Venerable Fat Hot (1893-1972), who was appointed in 1930 and expanded the monastery greatly. In December 1941, when Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation and the monastery was desperately short of food, Venerable Fat Hot travelled to Guangzhou to publicise Buddhism and beg for alms and during this time founded the Hong Kong Buddhist Association and established a charitable school and Buddhist hospital. He resigned as abbot in 1952 but resumed the post again one year later. Venerable Fat Hot died in 1972 and is buried in the mountain at the back of the monastery. Since then, the monastery has further and been a major draw for tourists and locals since its main hall opened in 1972.
Construction of the Tian Tan Buddha statue, which was completed in 1993 and the opening of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car system and Ngong Ping Village in 2006 have made it one of Hong Kong's busiest attractions and a further major expansion, due for completion in 2014, has been under way since 2007. The monastery is currently home to about 100 monks and nuns.
The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures.
The area consists of the Po Lin Monastery main temple, Po Lin Monastery interiorTian Tan Buddha, a giant Buddha statue completed in 1993, is an extension of the monastery.
This monastery is also famous for making wooden bracelets that are only sold near the Tian Tan Buddha statue.
Canon EOS 5D, 24-70L
2013
_MG_2762
An exhibition of Romanian sculptor Mircea Roman features 11 works of the artist at the monastery’s cloister. Mircea Roman is one of the few that have won The Great Prize of the Sculpture Triennial in Osaka, Japan, the most important prize of its kind in the world.
Mendut Buddhist Monastery, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.
Next to the ancient Candi Mendut (Mendut Temple) is the recent one, Mendut Buddhist Monastery. A fairly modern functional complex for devotees. One of the building imitates the design of the old Pawon Temple, but on a smaller scale. This monastery provides meditation programs for non-residents.
Maulbronn Monastery was founded in 1147. The church, built in a style transitional from Romanesque to Gothic, was consecrated in 1178. Most other buildings followed within the 13th century. The complex is believed to be one of the the best-preserved medieval Cistercian monastery complex north of the Alpes (some claim "in Europe"). Since 1993 Maulbronn is part of the Unesco World Heritage.
After the consecration, the construction of the abbey continued. Around 1200 the narthex was added and the cloister was started. Some buildings are done in a really remarkable architectural, early gothic style. The person, who built that must have had experiences from Northern France and Burgundy. With all the cistercian connections, it was probably easy to find a medieval "top architect". His name is not known. The name given to him by art historians is "Meister des Maulbronner Paradieses" (Master of Maulbronn Paradise).
He created not only the narthex ("Paradies"), but as well parts of the cloister and the refectorium. After completing his job in Maulbronn he turned northeast. His typical works can be found as well in Halberstadt and in Magdeburg, but here is, where he started his career in Germany..
It is visible, where "Meister des Maulbronner Paradieses" planned and built the cloister, as there (near the church) is a very early gothic style. Walking around the cloister, the style of the arches changes to high gothic.
There is no Cistercian cloister without a fountain. The fountain is inside a gothic fountain house, that was built within the 14th century. The fountain is probably the most photographed piece of art in Maulbrunn.
Cozia Monastery - Romania
Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea cel Bătrân in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania.
Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozia_Monastery
Interesting te read:
www.romanianmonasteries.org/other-monasteries/cozia-monas...
Re-established in 1630, the historic Monastery, belonging to the Drukpa Lineage houses some of the most invaluable cultural as well as religious artefacts including images, scriptures, etc. The entry ticket for the monastery-cum-museum was priced at Rs 50.
Sept 2012
Originally there were 24 active monasteries created in the 14th C. Six remain. Monks inhabited the caverns in Meteora as early as the 9th C.
Novospassky Monastery, in Moscow. The walls date back to the middle ages. The sign says "Don't park in front of the gates".
This is the largest monastery at Sanchi. There are many other smaller monasteries in this place. All the others are worse than this though. This is the most well preserved one. Pretty good view the monks must have woken up to every day.
The monastery of Agia Triada of Tzagarolon is one of the richest and most beautiful monasteries in Crete. It is built near the airport of Chania, in the position Tzobomylos of the Cape Melecha and at the foothills of Stavros Mount. The distance from Chania is only 15km.
The monastery was built by the Venetian nobles Jeremiah and Lawrence Tzagarolo. Jeremiah was a famous scholar of his era with rich education and was a friend of the Patriarch of Alexandria, Meletios Pigas. Jeremiah himself was a candidate for Patriarch of Constantinople. Moreover, Jeremiah designed and built the monastery complex of the monastery, being affected by the architect Sebastiano Serlio from Verona, Italy.
Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong.
The Ngong Ping 360, consisting of the Ngong Ping village and a gondola lift running between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, was built near to the Po Lin Monastery.The monastery has boasting many prominent architectural structures, such as the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha, the Hall of Bodhisattva Skanda.
The monastery was founded in 1906 by three Zen masters of Jin Shan Monastery of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province in China who had travelled south to Lantau Island to spread the Buddhist doctrine. The monastery was originally simply a stone thatched house without a name (Sometimes referred to as "The Big Hut") but as more and more monks gathered there a large hut was built to accommodate them. At the invitation of the three Zen masters, Monk Jixiu of Jin Shan Monastery became the first abbot in 1924 changed the name of the hut to “Po Lin Monastery”, Po Lin meaning “Precious Lotus”.
One of the monastery's former abbots was the eminent monk Venerable Fat Hot (1893-1972), who was appointed in 1930 and expanded the monastery greatly. In December 1941, when Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation and the monastery was desperately short of food, Venerable Fat Hot travelled to Guangzhou to publicise Buddhism and beg for alms and during this time founded the Hong Kong Buddhist Association and established a charitable school and Buddhist hospital. He resigned as abbot in 1952 but resumed the post again one year later. Venerable Fat Hot died in 1972 and is buried in the mountain at the back of the monastery. Since then, the monastery has further and been a major draw for tourists and locals since its main hall opened in 1972.
Construction of the Tian Tan Buddha statue, which was completed in 1993 and the opening of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car system and Ngong Ping Village in 2006 have made it one of Hong Kong's busiest attractions and a further major expansion, due for completion in 2014, has been under way since 2007. The monastery is currently home to about 100 monks and nuns.
The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures.
The area consists of the Po Lin Monastery main temple, Po Lin Monastery interiorTian Tan Buddha, a giant Buddha statue completed in 1993, is an extension of the monastery.
This monastery is also famous for making wooden bracelets that are only sold near the Tian Tan Buddha statue.
Canon EOS 5D, 24-70L
2013
_MG_2538
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир, Rilski manastir) is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River ("Rila River") at an elevation of 1,147 m above sea level, inside of Rila Monastery Nature Park. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Ivan of Rila (876 - 946 AD), and houses around 60 monks.
Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe.
Lhatse - Sakya - Shigatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Narthang Monastery - Sakya Monastery
Narthang Monastery is a monastery located 15 km west of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1153 by one of the disciples of Atisha, Nathang was the fourth great monastery of Tsang with Shalu Monastery, Sakya and Tashilhunpo. Narthang was first famous for its scriptual teaching and monastic discipline. After the fourteenth century it gained great eminence as the oldest of Tibet's three great printing centres (the other being the Potala and the Derge).
The Fifth Panchen Lama took control of the monastery and it continued printing the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur up until 1959. Narrthang's five main buildings and large chanting hall were razed to the ground by the Chinese in 1966. They had contained priceless 14th century murals possibly painted by the artist scholars of nearby Shalu Monastery. Today only the mud-brick foundations can be discerned although parts of the Mongolian styled high-fortress walls are still standing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthang_Monastery
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, It is located within the historical Tsang province of Tibet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
These pictures from Gansu province were taken during a nine-day trip in May 2015. Gansu is a province at the geographical heart of China. Its capital, Lanzhou, is pretty close to the center of the country as can be from what I can tell by looking at maps.
Gansu, though, is most certainly considered west China by the Chinese. Physically, the province reminds me of a small dumbbell sitting on an angle. There’s a southern (southeastern) section that is slightly large and has a high elevation (often between 2,000-3,000 meters) with a higher concentration of Muslims and Tibetans than most other areas of China. When you get closer to Xiahe, where Labrang Monastery is located, road signs are both in Tibetan and Mandarin. The LP 2011 had listed three places of interest in southern Gansu: Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, Labrang Monstery in Xiahe (listed as one of the 30 “Must Dos” in China), and Langmusi down on the Sichuan border. I had originally intended to visit all three places, but ended up dropping Langmusi – the Alpine village – and spending an extra day out west.
So all told in the south, I spent a few overcast hours in Hezuo at Milarepa Palace (as quirky as I recall LP saying it is, but also something I could have done without) before spending two nights at the Overseas Tibetan Hotel about 100 meters outside the eastern gate of Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. Xiahe was mesmerizing to me. It reminded me a little of some western US towns: one wide, main street that runs the length of town and most of the buildings are two- or three-story establishments.
Xiahe is around 3,300 meters in elevation, so altitude sickness is mentioned a few times, though I never experienced any type of nausea. I have nothing but good things to say about the hotel (not extravagant, but nice and comfortable beds), the owner (Lohsang Amso – a good man – who can also arrange bike rental, local and regional travel, etc.) and the good folks a few doors down at the Snowy Mountain Cafe – which seems to only be open in the evening – but where you can eat yak…which I did. One night, I had Nepalese yak curry (Nepalese chicken curry the other night). Other than that, I was amazed at how close (and countless) the stars in the night sky seemed to be, but given the altitude and lack of surface light, it wasn’t unexpected…just amazing.
Having spent the previous day on a morning flight from Chengdu to Lanzhou (one provincial capital to another), an hour bus ride from Lanzhou Airport downtown, another 45 minute taxi ride across town (through horrendous traffic), a 4 hour bus ride from Lanzhou down to southern Gansu that ended in Hezuo, an hour or two at Milarepa Palace in Hezuo, then finally another 1-2 hour bus from Hezuo to Xiahe, I finally found myself plopping down on my bed at the Overseas Tibetan…sometime in early evening.
Though things didn’t go exactly as planned, they were close enough and I really had no complaints. My biggest surprise was the number of mosques I saw en route to Xiahe. (I hadn’t realized that the Muslim population in this particular region was quite so large.)
Upon waking the following morning – it was a Monday, I recall – I made the incredibly short walk to the Labrang Monastery. Labrang Monastery is a fascinating place. It was founded in 1709 by Ngagong Tsunde (first generation of the third in line behind the Dalai and Panchen Lamas). It is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat sect) order of Tibetan Buddhism. Three of the other six are near Lhasa, one near Shigatse, and the other near Xining (Qinghai province).
This is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple (if I remember reading correctly) outside Tibet. To walk the entire kora (circumference of the temple with prayer wheels) is over a 3 km endeavor, which I undertook on that Monday morning.
It was a pleasant walk, rife with photographic opportunities – people don’t mind having their pictures taken, though the Tibetan monks…not so much. They had to give their permission, and usually didn’t want to, which was fine by me. Around the back (north) side of the monastery, there’s an outer kora trail up the mountain that would give a nice view, but I was frankly too lazy to take it (and didn’t find it, anyway).
And the people. Photographing people here (monks or otherwise) is just…a treasure trove waiting to happen. Regarding the monks living here, there apparently used to be about four thousand, but limits have been set to around 1,800 now. (All I’ll say is, like most places in China, the Cultural Revolution was none too kind...)
After walking the kora, I hung out at Everest Cafe (Lohsang’s restaurant at the Overseas Tibetan) for a no frills breakfast, then spent the remainder of the morning with a tour of the interior of the temple and wandering around the grounds. The monastery has a few different temples, monastic colleges, living residences…it’s really quite a large compound.
The day had started sunny, but by sundown was turning pretty cloudy, so no great sunset shots to be had here, and it was getting a bit chilly in the evening at that altitude, so as soon as it was evident there wouldn’t be any more shooting, I went on over to Snowy Mountain for a relaxing dinner alone before retiring to my room for the night. Tuesday morning found me on another long travel day via bus, taxi, and train…to the opposite side of the province: western Gansu province, which was almost like another planet.
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
The Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski (Macedonian: Свети Јован Бигорски) is a Macedonian Orthodox monastery located in the western part of Macedonia, near the road connecting the towns of Debar and Gostivar.
The monastery church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. According to the monastery's 1833 chronicle, it was built in 1020 by Ivan I Debranin. The Ottomans destroyed the monastery in the 16th century. The monastery was restored in 1743 by the monk Ilarion, who also built several monk cells. Later, in the period from 1812 to 1825 the monastery was expanded by archimandrite Arsenius. Among the donors there is also a mention of a monk Iov, recognized by some researchers as the future educator Yoakim Karchovski. One of the most valuable treasures of the monastery is the iconostasis created by Petre Filipovski Garkata from the nearby village of Gari. This iconostasis is considered a most beautiful and most valuable wood-carved iconostasis. Another valuable monastery treasure is an icon dating from 1020 with supposedly miraculous healing power.
Most of the old monastery complex was burnt down in 2009, while the new sections of the complex and church were saved. Reconstruction of the old palaces begun in May 2010 with the aim to reconstruct it as authentic as possible.
This week I attended the institute trip to Klosterneuburg Monastery near Vienna. At our arrival we had an hour free to walk around and I took a look into the church. Unfortunately there was a locked iron gate such that I was only able to take a picture from the entrance, where this wide angle shot turned out to look very impressive. Since carrying a tripod would have been way to heavy I had to shoot at ISO 800 which yields a fairly noisy picture, but I hope you like it anyway!
East Window
St Peter, St George, St Petroc and St Paul.
By James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd. Signed. 1927.
Detail: St Petroc.
St Petroc
Probably born in South Wales, he primarily ministered to the Britons of Devon (Dewnans) and Cornwall (Kernow), where he is associated with a monastery at Padstow, which is named after him (Pedroc-stowe, or 'Petrock's Place'). Padstow appears to have been his earliest major cult centre, but Bodmin became the major centre for his veneration when his relics were moved to the monastery there in the later ninth century. Bodmin monastery became one of the wealthiest Cornish foundations by the eleventh century. There is a second ancient dedication to him nearby at Little Petherick or "Saint Petroc Minor".
In Devon ancient dedications total a probable seventeen (plus Timberscombe just over the border in Somerset), mostly coastal and including one within the old Roman walls of Exeter as well as the villages of Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc. In Wales his name is commemorated at St Petrox near Pembroke, Ferwig near Cardigan and Llanbedrog on the Llŷn peninsula. He also became a popular saint in Brittany by the end of the tenth century.
Life
The earliest Life of Petroc states that he was the son of an unnamed Welsh king: the twelfth century version known as the Gotha Life, written at Bodmin, identifies that king as Glywys of Glywysing (Orme 2000, p. 215) and Petroc as a brother of Gwynllyw and uncle of Cadoc.
He studied in Ireland, where later he is said to have been the teacher of Saint Kevin.
For his further improvement he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and returning to Cornwall, shut himself up in a monastery of which he was himself the founder, at a place since called from him Petrocs-Stow, now Padstow, which stands at the mouth of the river Camel on the North Cornish Coast. All accounts indicate that Petroc retired from Padstow to Bodmin, and there founded a second monastery and a great church which King Athelstan afterwards favoured with great benefactions and singular privileges.
Petroc founded churches in Little Petherick and Bodmin and in many parts of Britain, Wales and Brittany. He is said to have converted Constantine of Cornwall to Christianity by saving a deer Constantine was hunting. After thirty years, legend says that he went on the pilgrimage to Rome by way of Brittany. The place of his death was reputedly at a house belonging to a family named Rovel, thought to be a farm now called Treravel near Little Petherick.
Veneration
With Saint Piran and Saint Michael, he is one of the patron saints of Cornwall. He was described by Thomas Fuller as "the captain of Cornish saints".
Humility is a virtue strongly associated with Petroc. One of the pervasive stories about this describes his return from the pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. As he set foot home in Britain under a heavy rain, he confidently told his companions that it would clear up by morning. Instead, the downpour lasted for many days and Petroc, ashamed of his presumptuousness, is said to have have left on another pilgrimage, this one of penance. Legendarily he travelled as far as India where he is said to have tamed a wolf. In iconography, he is frequently depicted with this unlikely pet. Also, like several other British saints, Petroc is often shown with a stag.
In 936, King Athelstan of England annexed Cornwall and granted privilege of sanctuary to Padstow, there only being two other churches in Cornwall with this privilege.
His feast day is 4 June. His major shrine was always at St Petroc's Church, Bodmin. In 1177, a Breton stole his relics from Bodmin and gave them to the Abbey of St Meen. However, Henry II restored them and, though the relics were thrown out during the English Reformation, their ivory casket is still on public display at St. Petroc's in Bodmin. His remains were reputed to have ended in the bay of Hailemouth near Padstow.
The St. Petroc's Society is a non-profit working to address homelessness in Cornwall.