Abstract
The present research investigates the territorial limits of the forest reserve with which Holy Prince Stephen the Great endowed Putna Monastery through his initial deed dated March 15, 1490 and reinforced on November 17, 1502. The paper describes the evolution of this forest reserve area from Prince Vasile Lupu’s deed, dated April 15, 1647, to the final area inscribed on the Austrian map entitled Topografische Bukowiner Kreis-Karte (1790). The goal is to determine the evolution of the real estate of Putna Monastery, one of the most important land owners in northern Moldavia: according to Karl A. Romstorfer, in 1783, most of the newly-established Religion Fund was made of Putna’s lands. It was also significant that, before incorporation, the Duchy of Bukovina was called Territorium Putni, which indicated both the economic and institutional status of Putna Monastery in the local people’s perception.
Keywords
1502, 1647, 1790, Bukovina, forest reserve, maps, Putna Monastery
