The Frontal Rock is located on Tsarevets Hill in Veliko Tarnovo and is the northern peak of the hill of the same name. It is very prominent in front , like a nose, and below it forms a deep ravine. The Fronta Rock is considered to be a place where public executions took place. It is believed that from this rock the latin emperor Baldwin of Flandra was thrown in 1205, after being blinded in the Tower of Baldwin.
The Frontal Rock is the sharpest northern part rock on the Tsarevets hill in Veliko Tirnovo. The slope is very prominent in front a nose and beneath a deep ravine. The Frontal Rock is considered to be the perfect place where public execution took place.
On the west side unti the Frontal Rock was a small gate, without a defense tower, where a crown of steps, placed in the stone reached the Church of “Sf. Peter and Pavel” and th monastery around it. This gate was guarded by ramparts and towers nearby city.
Inside the Frontal Rock Fortress was a monastery. The monastery church no. 21, had a nave with a with a dome with a vaulted apse semi cylindrical and trammel. The entry was done in the north side of the nave. On the southern side there is an open gallery.
On the terrace of the Frontal Rock was descovered a lead seal, dated back in XIIth century, with a diameter of 31 mm and a thickness of 3.2 mm, with an inscription of seven lines: “Mother of God, assists the sebastul George Cape”.
From the Frontal Rock, at the beginning of the spring in 1300, Svetoslav Terter has ordered the Patriarch Joachim the ІIІrd to be thrown into the abyss, and both hebrew butchers who received bribes from Theodore Komninos who did not implement the verdict of blindness. The verdict of Bulgarian Patriarch “because of betrayal” was due to the reason that he opposed the return of Svetoslav Terter after 14 years spent as a hostage at the Tartar Khan Nogay in autumn 1299 together with Tatar horde led by the son of Nogay – Chaka, with the intention to put the Asenevtsi crown on the Tatar-Muslim Head. But the throne is occupied by Svetoslav Terter, which recognizes its status as a vassal in front of Chaka Han. Very soon thereafter, Svetoslav Terter arranges for Hebrew contractors to strangle the Hanul Chaka and se sent the head of the khan as preent to Tata khan Toqta. But Patriarch Joachim the ІIІrd was already in disgrace.
By the way, Patriarch Joachim ІIІ have an old quarrel with Terter family. In short time after he was ordained a patriarch, he refused to recognize the second marriage of Svetoslav’s father, George the Ist Terter, as legitimate (with Mary, the younger sister of the Ivan Asan IIIrd ) and his access to the sacraments was banned, so being under tutelage of church.
Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch strongly opposed the attempts of Pope Nicholas IV, to converse the George I Terter to Catholicism.
At Frontal Rock, the Patriatch Evtimii had to be beheaded by Turkish oppressors.
When Tirnovo fell on July 17, 1393, Patriarch Evtimii remained the sole support of the people – calmed, encourageed, blessed, suffered and cried along with all Bulgarians. He had the civil courage and pastoral to stand in front of the conqueror and beg mercy for the civilian population.
Shortly afterwards, Süleyman Çelebi gathered and beheaded 110 church “St. Peter and Paul” leaders in the City. Then again Evtimii stood before him, to rebuke him for the act of a traitor.
Because of the two daring, the Turk ordered the beheading of St. man at the Frontal Rock. On the road, the patriarch blessed the people, who remained speechless of horror, pain and despair. But on the rock a miracle happened – the outstretched hand for a blow from executor went numb, and the Turks superstitious trembled with fear. Therefore, the patriarch was spared. Probably more than two years he remained in the church “St. 40 Martyrs” in Tirnovo, before being exiled from here at the monastery.