Holy Virgin Filofteia was born in the city of Tarnovo in Bulgaria, and remaining orphaned following the death of his mother, wise by the Holy Spirit, he began to work with zeal works best. Soon after the death of his mother, father Holy Filofteia took another woman saw them mercy, made his incessant troubles, beating her and her father starting it in anger on him. From the hands of his father have to suffer death Holy Filofteia, going to take them for food is in the field, they went out before the holy poor who sought his mercy. Blessed Having nothing else to give, they divided the food that her father was entitled. Seeing him this, he threw after her with the ax that had the waist and hitting it to a foot, holy and gave his soul to God. Founded “Saint Nicholas” (Arges II), which has retained the position of the first church in the country since 1359, year of establishment of the first metropolises to Romanian Land, exceeding in size needs a chapel and is adapted ceremonies and jobs involving participation a numerous clergy, implied a residence or a metropolitan see, moved in 1517 to 1668 in Bucharest and Targoviste. After more than half a century of its foundation during Prince Radu (Black) Voda (1377-1383) are made with great honor and placed relics of Holy Martyr Filofteia, like precious gifts, according to a word of praise that signifies the life of this protective Bulgarian Empire.

Patriarch Euthymius, Metropolitan Josaphat and Archdeacon Paul of Aleppo

But there is a mystery on this subject because of doubt or lack of connection between data in the life of the Holy Filofteia, written by Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo and the Metropolitan Ioasaf of Vidin, on the one hand, and the oral tradition from us, recorded in 1656 by archdeacon Paul of Aleppo, companion Macarius Patriarch of Antioch, in his travels through the Romanian countries, Ukraine and Russia, on the other hand, between them and the life described by the Greek Metropolitan Neophyte in 1746. According to the Holy Patriarch Eftimie which signifies the life of this protective Bulgarian Empire, celebrated throughout the Church on December 7, but particularly in Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, the relics were brought from Vidin conquered by the Turks after a while they stood in great church in Tarnovo. Related to the relocation of relics Filofteia, like those of Saint Paraskevi in ​​Epivat from Tarnovo Vidin, we have a word of praise delivered on May 28, 1395, the day the Holy Filofteia is celebrated for the first time patronizing the city Dii (Vidin) by Metropolitan Josaphat, enthroned as it seems, the patriarch Euthymius himself. This is confirmed in 1479 a copy of the manuscript, contained in a panegyric of the Monastery Rala. The full title is “Word of praise and some of the miracles and life of the venerable and thrice-Blessed our mother Filofteia” and in addition to holy writings are narrated historical circumstances and the arrival of Metropolitan of Vidin at Tarnovo episode application holy relics and of their displacement . Shortly, as I said, in 1396 it occurs and fall of the city of Vidin, at which Metropolitan Josaphat traces are lost. Some historians believe it crossed the Danube in Country Romanian, taking with it the relics Filofteia that will be encountered probably Mircea the Elder, along with Metropolitan Athanasios of Severin, and placed in the Royal Church of Curtea de Arges . The first testimonies secure the presence of the relics of Curtea de Arges dates, but only in the second half of the eighteenth century and belong to Paul Aleppo texts slave is not recorded at all in the form that we have today, nor in the writings of Romanian .

Holy child chose to cross the Danube to us

In the traditional version, the life of the Holy Filofteia contained in the book “Saints” in December, we find that, even after many prayers and not at the behest of Archbishop and hierarchs come to lift the body of a kid martyred by her father, were unable Christians to move or even to move, wanting God to glorify His servants. Understanding that is not ordained to go to his city, began to mention the names of many holy places, from Constantinople to the lands beyond the Danube. They mentioned several fairs and monasteries in the mountains and did not budge until in passing and without hope, they said the Royal Church are talking about, and soon was made lighter than natural weight of a man. Thus it was notified by letter Radu (Black) Voda the good will of the holy is to live on Romanian soil and welcomed her with torches lit incense and singing psalms and doxology, embellishing residence with this chip miracle worker, came to enlighten and directed the faith of a nation. The presence of the relics has led the church especially after the transfer of Neagoe (1512-1521) in the early part of the eighteenth century, not just a certain prestige that went beyond borders, as it was the princely residence of Suceava, where they were made in 1402, from Moncastro (Fortress-White) Saint George – Mirăuţi, the relics of St. John the New, but also the development of a whole cult and a rich iconography that can be read in the church narthex princely “Saint Nicholas”. Here’s how the veneration of saints, its implications on the cultural, literary and artistic, is in the Middle Ages oriental and occidental, a special way to emphasize the authority of ecclesiastical institutions.
Recent studies by researchers concerned with this topic (DR Mazilu, Paul Cernovodeanu, Pr. Acad. Mircea Păcurariu) put in agreement that relics Filofteia came from Vidin to the Romanian Country after a certain time, and not directly from the place it was martyred by her father, true considering the written version of St. Patriarch Euthymius.

The church “Saint Nicholas-Royal”, an architectural treasure

The relics of St. Martyr Filofteia are in the chapel of the monastery of Curtea de Arges, near the Episcopal church raised with great sacrifices of Neagoe and Mrs. Despina by Master Manole, helped by “nine great masters, journeymen and masons,” according to popular myth collected by Alecsandri and inscriptions preserved in the church. And painting works were completed only in 1526 by Prince Radu of Afumaţi (1522-1529), in terms of construction belonging to the Byzantine style, while on the outside decorative elements are influential Armenian, Persian, Georgian and Arabic in perfect harmony and balance data between 1875 and 1885 restorations led by French architect Andre Lecomte de Nouy.
Following archaeological research undertaken in 1969 at Arges within the church “Saint Nicholas – Royal” from the XIVth century, they were the remains of a sanctuary century XIII named Arges I, with features obviously related monuments Bulgarian around 1300. the foundations kept under the pavement of the nave presents sometimes parts of walls with heights and thicknesses, arranged on a typical plan “Greek cross” with polygonal altar three sides externally, possibly circular inside a prolonging the nave nave sides, having, as inferred from the shape of the plane, a coating system in semicalotă the altar, barrel vaults in the nave and narthex cross-cylindrical vault and in the central part of the building, a tower or cupola.