Armenian monastery of Suceava

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The Armenian monastery of Suceava, also known as Zamca, is an Armenian Apostolic church complex in Suceava, northern Romania’s Bukovina region. It dates from the 15th century and was finished in the early 1400s during the rule of Moldavian prince Alexandru I Mușat. It was built as the bishop’s seat for the local Armenian Church in 1401, founded by Alexandru I. The Saint Auxentius Church is the main building of the complex.

In 1606 the church was renovated or rebuilt, and new structures were added: a bell tower, a gate, and a residence with a chapel dedicated to Gregory the Illuminator. These parts survive today. The interior was decorated with murals in the 18th century.

From 1667 to 1737, James Louis Sobieski used the monastery as his base when trying to gain the Moldavian throne. In 1690 it became the headquarters of the Polish Army for its Moldavia campaigns in the War of the Holy League against the Ottoman Empire. The Poles built a network of bastion fortifications around the monastery, which are still well preserved. The popular name Zamca comes from the Polish word zamek, meaning castle.