Kintsvisi Monastery

Kintsvisi stands in a wooded valley south of Kareli, and its church of Saint Nicholas, built of brick in the early thirteenth century, holds one of the best fresco cycles of the Georgian golden age. The painting includes a portrait of Queen Tamar, made in her lifetime or close to it, and an image of an angel at the empty tomb whose robe was painted with imported lapis lazuli, so intensely blue that the figure is known simply as the Kintsvisi angel and appears on posters across the country. Other buildings stand ruined in the grounds. The church is small, the valley is quiet and the road in is rough.

History

The complex has three churches of uncertain origin. The main church of St Nicholas is thought to date from the early 13th century, the Georgian golden age, a date fixed by the figures of three Georgian kings of that time in its murals, and a very small chapel of St George beside it is of the same period, while the oldest church, of St Mary, dates from the 10th-11th centuries and is mostly ruined. In the 15th century the local prince Zaza Panaskerteli rebuilt the narthex of the main church, divided it into three parts and had it painted, including a portrait of himself, and the site is listed by the World Monuments Fund as a field project (Wikipedia, Kintsvisi Monastery).

What you'll find

• The blue angel fresco - painted with imported lapis lazuli.
• A portrait of Queen Tamar - made in or near her lifetime.
• Thirteenth-century brick construction - unusual among Georgian churches.
• Ruined buildings in the grounds - the rest of the monastic complex.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. The road in is rough. Modest dress is required. Ask locally if the church is locked; the keyholder is usually nearby.

What to expect

The last kilometres are rough and taxis charge for it. The church is often locked and access can take time. Interior light is very poor and photography is generally not permitted, so the famous angel is hard to see well.

Nearby

Kareli is north-east; Gori lies east.

Key facts