Castelul din Suceava

The Seat Fortress of Suceava, also known as Suceava Fortress, is a medieval citadel located on the eastern edge of the city of Suceava (in northeastern Romania). It stands on a terminal spur of a plateau, 70 meters above the Suceava River meadow, offering a panoramic view of the entire valley.

The term Seat Fortress of Suceava is preferred over “Suceava Fortress” because two fortresses existed in Suceava: the Seat Fortress and the Western Fortress (Șcheia Fortress), both built by Voivode Petru I Mușat (c.1375–c.1391).

The Suceava Fortress was part of a fortification system built in Moldavia at the end of the 14th century in response to the Ottoman threat. This medieval system included fortified settlements (royal courts, monasteries with high walls, and strategically important citadels), all designed for defense and reinforced with stone walls, earthworks, or deep moats.

The fortress was built at the end of the 14th century by Petru I Mușat,

Fortified in the 15th century by Stephen the Great,

And destroyed in the 17th century (1675) by Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino.

Today, it remains in ruins.

The Seat Fortress of Suceava has been listed as a historic monument in Suceava County since 2015, under the classification code SV-II-a-A-05449, and includes the following four objectives:

Mușatin Fort – dating from the 14th century (code: SV-II-m-A-05449.01)

Outer Enclosure – built between 1476–1478 (code: SV-II-m-A-05449.02)

Defensive Ditch – from the late 15th century (code: SV-II-m-A-05449.03)

Counterscarp Wall – from the second half of the 15th century (code: SV-II-m-A-05449.04)

Additionally, there is an archaeological site called the Plateau in front of the Fortress, located at “Câmpul Șanțurilor” on the eastern edge of the city and on the northern slopes of the hill. It dates back to the medieval period (14th–17th centuries) and is classified under the code SV-I-s-A-05390.