Photo credit: (c) Adrian CUBA / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

In his ‘Muma lui Stefan cel Mare’ (Stephen the Great’s Mother), Stefan Bolintineanu describes Stephen’s defeat in the battle of Valea Alba-Razboieni to Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.

In his ‘Sobieski si romanii’ (Sobieski and Romanians) Costache Negruzzi mentions the bravery of the Moldavian armies before the Polish armies, as well as the strategic position of the fortress.

Great storyteller Ion Creanga in his ‘Amintiri din copilarie’ (Memories of My Childhood) describes the local river of Ozana as beautifully flowing and crystal clear, in which the Neamt Fortress had been mirroring itself for so many centuries.

The earliest history of the fortress history dates back to the end of the 14th century. It had been built strategically atop the Plesu Hill by Petru I Musat, between 1374-1391.

‘There were three brothers, Peter, Stephen and Roman Musat, who broke up at the right time and Peter Musat came from Suceava, from beyond the hill, and placed here the foundation of the fortress. The main entrance to the fortress is not where tourists enter today, but through the second gate, the gate referred to as the Musat Gate, and the bridge was originally in a straight line,’ museologist Mihai Cucolea tells Agerpres.

Photo credit: (c) Adrian CUBA / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Photo credit: (c) Adrian CUBA / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

He adds that the strategic and military strengthening of the fortress was performed by ruler Stephen the Great and Holy. ‘Great prince Stephen the Great and Holy reinforced the entire land of Moldavia in military and then political terms. It is about the capital city of Suceava and the fortresses of Soroca, Chilia, Tighina, Hotin, Cetatea Alba, Baia, Scheia, Roman and the Neamt Fortress. He brought in Italian, Transylvanian and Moldavian craftsmen and erected it. It had three floors, it was very comfortable, it had a roof of lead and brass foil, in a word it was shaped like a castle. The Voivode also changed the defence system of the fortress. He had the linear bridge demolished and made the bridge in the form of a semicircle, the bridge on which tourists come in today. But the bridge had no railing, because the enemies must be received ?properly,'”says Cucolea.

Poet Stefan Bolintineanu depicts in his ‘Stephen the Great’s Mother’ how the Voivode, defeated by Sultan Mahmud the Conqueror returned to the Neamt Fortress, only to be urged by his mother to seek revenge and die a hero.

‘The battle took place at Valea Alba Valley — Razboieni, where Stephen the Great and Holy lost. Hurt, he withdrew to the fortress late at night, knocked at the gate and the voice of an old woman asked who was there. Inside the fortress, in times of war, his family would probably be inside the fortress, his mother included as the chroniclers say, part of the wealth of Moldavia brought from Suceava, very many children as to not to be kidnapped and turned into janissaries, and troops that would stand guard. Stephen left for Suceava, where he knocked on the door to the cell of monk Daniil Sihastru, the hermit, but the monk did not welcome him in as he was praying. Only after finishing his prayer did the monk welcome him in and gave a piece of fatherly advice. ‘My lord, do not bow the country down to the enemy. Keep fasting for you and your army for three days and three nights, and place an icon of St. George the victory bearer, on the battle flag, build him a church, and victory will be yours, my Lord.’ As the priest said and thanks to the ruler’s wisdom, the Turks were lured here at the fortress. They vainly tried to capture it for two days, after which they began to bombard the fortress. Very sharp spears had been placed under the bridge and the bridge could not be used for crossing. Others fell into traps or died of arrows fired from the castle, and Mahmud returned to Istanbul. Stephen rounded the prisoners of war in the courtyard, he waved his sword on the ground and told them: ?you have sought earth and water, so dig to find water and if you do find it you will be free.’ They dug about 110 meters until they reached the Ozana and built a well in the process. The prisoners who were still alive after that were freed,’ says museologist Cucolea.

For as long as Stephen the Great and Saint ruled, no Moldavian fortress feel into the hands of the enemy.

‘Inside the Neamt Fortress, there were two prison houses: one for dishonest merchants and thieves and one for the treacherous boyars. Stephen the Great was followed by Alexandru Lapusneanu, who put the citadel to the fire. In 1691, the King of Poles, Sobieski, came to the place on a military campaign. He stopped over at Cotnari, where he learned about a fair lady, daughter of ruler Vasile Lupu, living in Preotesti that was keeping the ruler’s fortune. He found her and took her and the treacherous boyars to the Neamt Fortress believing that the riches were stored there. They found nothing and killed her in terrible pain in the area where the Mint is standing now. The gates to the fortress were opened to King Sobieski by the treacherous boyars,’ says Cucolea.

Photo credit: (c) Adrian CUBA / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

That was not the only time when the gates to the fortress were willingly opened.

‘For the second time, the gates opened in 1600 to unifier Michael the Brave, and the third time is today, when they open to over 150,000 visitors annually. After the structure was demolished in 1718, by Phanariot rulers, only the outer rooms and some doors were left standing of it. The fortress was refurbished for the first time in 1966, and the latest refurbishment took place in 2011 on funds from the European Union. Today, people dressed likes medieval Moldavian soldiers welcome the visitors to places inside the fortress called ?The Black Gaol,’ ?The Mint,’ ?The Kitchen,’ and ?The Assembly Room,” says Cucolea.

Every year in early July, the Days of the Neamt Fortress are held and a Medieval Arts Festival, while in August the fortress hosts a national festival of lute music. AGERPRES