page_title: Suceava
section_title: The Seat Fortress of Suceava
hierarchical_section_title: Suceava / Culture / The Seat Fortress of Suceava
caption_attribution_description: English: Seat Fortress of Suceava – the center part.Română: Cetatea de Scaun a Sucevei – partea centrală. This is a photo of a historic monument in județul Suceava, classified with number SV-II-a-A-05449
context_page_description: Suceava is the largest city and the seat of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, north-eastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe respectively. During the late Middle Ages, more specifically from 1388 to 1564, the city was the third capital of the Principality of Moldavia.
  From 1775 and 1918, Suceava was controlled by the Habsburg Monarchy, initially part of its Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, then gradually becoming the third most populous urban settlement of the Duchy of Bukovina, a constituent province of the Austrian Empire and subsequently a crown land within Austria-Hungary. It was only surpassed by Cernăuți and Rădăuți, both located to the north. Furthermore, given its diverse ethnic background during the late Modern Age, Austrian architect Rudolf Gassauer stated that the city of Suceava could have well been perceived back then as a 'miniature Austria'.
  During this time, Suceava was an important, strategically-located commercial border town with the then Romanian Old Kingdom. At the same time, it also received a large influx of German-speaking settlers in the process of the Josephine colonization.
context_section_description: Suceava is the place of several medieval sites that are closely linked to the history of the former Principality of Moldavia. By far the most significant (and at the same time the most well preserved one) is the Seat Fortress of Suceava (Romanian: Cetatea de Scaun a Sucevei) or Suceava Citadel, a medieval castle situated on the eastern edge of the contemporary city.
  The fortress was built during the reign of Petru of Moldavia (1375–1391), also known as Petru Mușat. It was further expanded and strengthened during the reigns of Alexander I of Moldavia (1400–1432) and Stephen the Great (1457–1504). The medieval castle was part of the fortification system built in Moldavia during the late 14th century, given the emergence of the Ottoman danger. It even became strong enough to hold off an attack by Ottoman sultan Mehmed II (the conqueror of Constantinople) in 1476.
  Suceava was the capital city of the former Principality of Moldavia between 1388 and 1565. During this period, the castle served as princely residence. Alexandru Lăpușneanu had subsequently moved the Moldavian capital to Iași in 1565, so the castle lost its status. Afterwards, the citadel entered a period of steep decline. In 1675, during the reign of voivode Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino, the fortress was destroyed. Then, for over two centuries, the castle was completely deserted.
  During the late 19th century and early 20th century, under the patronage of Austrian architect Karl Adolf Romstorfer, a series of rehabilitation works and archaeological research had been conducted. Between 1961 and 1970 other restoration and consolidation processes were carried out. In 2013, a major reconstruction program was launched, aiming to return the castle to its original architecture and shape.
  The Seat Fortress of Suceava consists of two concentric citadels. The inner citadel, known as fortul mușatin, has a rectangular shape and a patio. It was built by Petru Mușat in late 14th century. During the second half of the 15th century, Stephen the Great expanded the structure by adding another citadel which had a circular shape surrounding the old one.
  After 1476, new fortifications were added to the outer citadel. Furthermore, the whole castle is encircled by a large defensive ditch. Today, the fortress is a landmark of Suceava and a noteworthy touristic attraction. Since 2011, it has also been used for hosting cultural events such as the rock music festival Bucovina Rock Castle. The festival attracted a series of renowned national and international bands and artists (e.g. guitarist Jan Akkerman, formerly of Dutch progressive rock band Focus).
caption: The late 14th century Suceava seat fortress during daytime, as seen in June, 2009.
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