According to some legends, the monastery of Curchi was founded by Stephen the Great in the 15th century but the most plausible version remains that this monastery was founded in 1773 by brothers Iordache and Mihail Curchi. This orthodox monastery of Curchi dedicated to "The Nativity of Our Lady", of rare beauty due to the surrounding orchards and forests, is one of the most important monuments of Moldavian architecture in Bessarabia. It is located in the Orhei district, in the Vaticiu Valley, 55 km north of Chişinău, the capital. Restored between 2002 and 2015, this architectural complex is composed of five churches, two cellars, a fortress, several auxiliary rooms, an orchard and a hermitage (30 monks live there).. Read more..