Arbanassi
Located four kilometers northeast of Veliko Turnovo, the
village of Arbanassi has a splendid view over the medieval
castles of Trapezitsa and Tzarevets. The village has its
specific style in house-building. In 17-18th centuries the
village reaches its "Golden age" and richly ornamented
monumental houses and churches are built during this
period. The Arbanassi house has no equivalent in building
and style in other parts of the country. Another
architectural treasure of the village is the existence of five
churches and two monasteries. The oldest and the most
interesting one is "Rojdestvo Christovo"/"Nativity"/
church.
Arbanassi plateau is 420 m above sea level.
Established in 14th century by Bulgarian boyars, the
village has survived for many centuries thanks to the
presence of highly talented Goldsmiths, blacksmiths.
The greatest tourist attraction in this village is the
unique architecture dating from the Bulgarian
national revival - 16th-17th century. The
Arbanassi house is built in the way that it was
possible to live in it for a long time without going
out except for water from the well in the yard.
Every Arbanassi house is surrounded by high
stone walls. Every house had a hiding place.
These things speak about the uncertainty of the
time when the people of this village lived. You
can enter the
yard of the
house through two big oak gates shouldered with big
columns and covered with four-layered roof. There is also
a small door for a constant connection with the street.
There is a small iron door knocker that hammers on a
small iron panel. The houses are of very high stone- wallslike citadels. The interior settings - windows, doors, and
roofs are decorated with detailed woodcarving and the
walls are decorated with plaster elements in the form of flowers. There are 80 preserved
houses in this village and many of them are national cultural heritage. Two of the most
interesting memorial houses are named The Konstantsaliev`s and the Hadjiliev`s.
There are 5 churches and 2 monasteries in this village. The
oldest church is Rojdestvo Hristovo (Christmas) and it’s the
most decorated. The biggest church is St. Archangel Mikhail
and Gabriel. St. Nikola Monastery was part of the widespread
religious construction under the Assen dynasty, the founders
of the Second Bulgarian State. Its artistic and historical value
lies above all in the surviving murals in the St. Elija Chapel,
probably dating from 1716: a monumental figure of Christ the
Great Archangel, 12 scenes from the Holy Akathistos, and 6 scenes from the life of Christ.
The effective coloring and rich palette, the confidence in
the portrayal of the human figures, the unusually varied
architectural decoration reveals the hand of a master from
a superior and more erudite school. The filigree wooden
iconostasis in the chapel, with its delicate and exquisite
decorations, is valuable treasure.
Though situated in the same village, the Holy Virgin
Monastery suffered a different, though no less tragic fate.
It is not known how it survived the attacks in 1393. What
has remained of them warrants the assumption that they
too were painted by traveling artists - highly paid at the time, but quite affordable by the
wealthy inhabitants of the village of Arbanassi.
The village of Arbanassi is an architectural heritage and it’s listed among the UNESCO world
heritage.