Tsinandali Palace, Two Cathedrals and a Monastery – all in a day's tour !!

From the Georgian border, we spent an unnecessary night in Telavi and then passing through Tsinandali, Bobde and Sighnaghi onward to Tbilisi.

“”Tsinandali is a village in Kakheti in the district of Telavi, 79 km east of Tbilisi. It is noted for the palace and historic winery-estate which once belonged to the 19^th C aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze (1786–1846) and which, since 2019, is the venue for the Tsinandali Festival”

We joined an English speaking tour group and were shown around the palace. Its quite small, not very fancy in its décor. Furnishings inside are not orignal. The only interesting part was the huge wine cellar with 16,000 bottles – the guide said “these are not drinkable, kept just for show” . To me, it was a waste of space.

“”Alexander Chavchavadze frequently entertained foreign guests with music, wit, and – most especially – the fine vintages made at his estate marani (winery). Familiar with European ways, Chavchavadze built Georgia's oldest and largest winery where he combined European and centuries-long Georgian winemaking traditions. The highly regarded dry white Tsinandali is still produced there.

“”Prince Alexander Chavchavadze built a wine cellar and wine factory in 1830s. He also started collecting wine collection and today Tsinandali Oenotheque counts over 16 500 historic bottles of wine starting from 1814 till today. Among them should be distinguished Polish Honey (1814) Château d'Yquem (1861) and first Georgian bottled wine of 1841, Saperavi (This is the oldest bottled wine in Georgia) 19th-century wine cellar is unique with its engineering, that allows to keep constant temperature and humidity in the chambers that are best for wine keeping. In the 19th century a fashionable salon was located in Tsinandali estate, where aristocrats from different countries gathered. Alexander Dumas once compared Tsinandali to a paradise. In 1888 Tsinandali Wine cellar together with other heritage was transferred to Romanov imperial family. and winery was renovated by the architect Alexander Ozerov. Today Tsinandali Wine Cellar still hosts a big wine collection as well as providing venues for conferences and classical music concerts. Since 2019, it hosts the Tsinandali Classical music festival.””  Wikipedia 

“”Tsinandali Garden is one of the few remaining examples of early 19th-century landscape designs.You see not only local species of trees and shrubs but also species from every continent. Tsinandali Garden's uniqueness is caused by the organic merge of European symmetric and Georgian natural patterns. It mostly reminds its viewers of English gardens from 19th century. Some compare Tsinandali to Richmond and Kew Gardens. In 2019, Tsinandali Garden became the member of European Network of Historic Gardens and was included into the historic gardens' touristic routes.

After the tour was over, we went to a small building where a sommelier gave us all a complimentary glass of the wine. It was a pleasant way to end an hour’s tour of a small estate out in the wilderness of Georgia. 

At  Sighnaghi, we stopped for lunch. The town has a defensive wall of 23 towers. Its quaint, its attractive but has too many tourists all craving t climb onto the wall so we gave that a miss. Instead our guide took us to this delightful restaurant “ Pheasant's Tears” where had a superb lunch of various greens, mushrooms, mixed salad and a superb red wine Chkhaverni 2023. 

Sighnaghi town was on the crossroads of the Great Silk road. Each of the 23 towers defended one village. Inb thise days, a village consisted of around 50 – 100 people.

Onwards to Bobde Monastery just 2 km away. At a height of 800 m, this stunning 9th-century religious complex is the final resting place of St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia. This is a working convent. The original church is rather beautiful and they are building a new one on the grounds.  The monastery is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of Georgians, whose relics are shrined there.

“”The extant church – a three-nave basilica with three protruding apses – was originally built between the 9th and 11th centuries, but has been significantly modified since then. Both exterior and interior walls have been plastered and bear the traces of restoration carried out in the 17th and 19th centuries. It consists of a small hall church with an apse built over St. Nino's grave that is integrated into a larger aisled basilica. A free-standing three-storey bell-tower was erected between 1862 and 1885. Part of the 17th-century wall surrounding the basilica was demolished and the earlier original one restored in 2003.

“” In 1889, Bodbe was visited by Tsar Alexander III of Russia who decreed to open a nunnery there. The resurrected convent also operated a school where needlework and painting was taught.

“”In 1924, the Soviet government closed down the monastery and converted it into a hospital. In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Bodbe monastery was resumed as a convent. Restoration works were carried out between 1990 and 2000 and resumed in 2003.””

The view from the monastery is fantastic as it is among tall Cypress trees on a steep hillside overlooking the Alazani Valley, where it commands views of the Greater Caucasus mountains.

 

At the exit, we were enticed into a shop run by nuns. I was fascinated by these strange consumables. It is a local delicacy of walnuts tied thru and thru with string for ease of eating and covered in a skin made of grapes. Looks revolting but tasted interesting as the walnut flavour mixes with the sweetness of the grape skin. 

We are devils for punishment and when we travel, local sights like churches, art galleries, museums and cemeteries are de rigeur in our schedule. So we had to see Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

“”It is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located in the historic town of Mtskheta. A masterpiece of the early and high Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second-largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.

“” Known as the burial site of the claimed Christ's mantle, Svetitskhoveli has long been one of the principal Georgian Orthodox churches and is among the most venerated places of worship in the region. Throughout the centuries, the cathedral served as the burial place for kings. The present structure was completed between 1010 and 1029 by the medieval Georgian architect Arsukisdze, although the site itself dates back to the early 4^th C. The exterior of the cathedral is a well-preserved example of typical 11th-century decoration.

“” The church ensures good acoustics. Large windows on the dome and walls provide ample light. The church's plan is a cross, with shorter transverse arms and longer longitudinal arms. The dome of Svetitskhoveli was reconstructed several times. The primary stone used for the cathedral is sandy yellow with trimmings, while a red stone is used around the apse window. The green stone used in the drum of the cupola dates from the 17th century. The church facades are richly decorated"" 

“” The walls are decorated with many Christian Orthodox icons, most of which are not original (the originals are preserved in the national museums of Georgia). The church's stonework also features carved grapes (as in many churches of Georgia), reflecting the country's ancient wine-making traditions. The large figure of Jesus at the altar was painted by a Russian artist in the 19th century. The majority of the icons date to the 20th century, with some being copies of older icons and frescoes from other churches across Georgia.””

"" The curved blind arcading is preserved from the 11th century. The arches genuinely ascend or descend according to the height of the corresponding section of the facade, creating an impression of constant movement. Two high and deep niches on the eastern facade stand in clear contrast with the surrounding illuminated walls. Each window is fram.ed by an ornamental stripe and stylized peacock tail-like decorations. Similar decorations appear in the upper parts of the eastern niches. There are two low-reliefs — an eagle with open wings and a lion below it — are positioned to the south of three more recent accessory windows beneath the roof. 

“” The cathedral's interior walls were once completely adorned with medieval frescoes, but many of them have not survived. In the 1830s, when Emperor Nicholas I was scheduled to visit Mtskheta, Russian authorities demolished the galleries and whitewashed timeless frescoes to give the cathedral a "tidier appearance"; in the end, the Czar never visited. Today, after careful restoration, some frescoes survive, including a 13th-century depiction of the "Beast of the Apocalypse" and figures of the Zodiac"".

“” Svetitskhoveli is considered an endangered cultural landmark; it has survived various adversities, and many of its priceless frescoes were lost due to being whitewashed by the Russian Imperial authorities. It is considered one of the four Great Cathedrals of the Georgian Orthodox world””.

Now we had only the main Cathedral to see in Tbilisi – The Holy Trinity Cathedral which stands tall on the banks of the Mtkvari River. Apparently, its also known as Sameba. This colossal structure with its gleaming golden dome piercing the sky, has become synonymous with the city itself, captivating visitors with its grandeur and spiritual aura.

It is not old. In May 1989, the Georgian Orthodox Church and the authorities of Tbilisi announced an international contest for the "Holy Trinity Cathedral" project. No winner was chosen at the first round of the contest when more than a hundred projects were submitted. Finally, the design by architect Archil Mindiashvili won the contest. The subsequent turbulent years of civil unrest in Georgia deferred this grandiose plan for six years, and it was not until 23 November 1995, that the foundation of the new cathedral was laid. Construction began in 1995, marking a significant moment in Georgia’s post-Soviet era. It was envisioned as a symbol of national and spiritual revival, commemorating the 2,000^th anniversary of Christianity and the 1,500^th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Completed in 2004. On November 23, 2004, on St. George’s Day, the cathedral was consecrated by Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II and representatives of other world-wide Orthodox Churches. 

The majestic central dome, surrounded by four smaller ones, reaches a height of 87 meters, making it the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world.

There are too many steps but my guide took me by a side door and we entered a closed space with easier to climb and less steps. This brought us to the top of what looked like a private chapel. Then we descended to the main church level where a service was going on. We stayed on for a few minutes and exited from the side --- there is a great view of the city.  

I hope you enjoyed reading about all these places. I have taken the liberty of quoting Wikipedia for the technical text as its well written. Thank you Wikipedia. Geogia is a beautiful country and we were very lucky to have an excellent driver and very knowledgeable guide, despite the best efforts of our travel agency’s representative who was stubborn, unhelpful and ignorant of Georgia’s beauty. 

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