Dormition of the Theotokos Church, Orăștie

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Coordinates: 45°50′33″N 23°11′55″E / 45.84247°N 23.19871°E / 45.84247; 23.19871
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Dormition of the Theotokos Church
Rear view

The Dormition of the Theotokos Church (

Dormition of the Theotokos
.

Architecture

The church is typical of contemporary Transylvania architecture, a Gothic hall church inspired by the Transylvanian Saxons. It features an altar separated from the nave by an iconostasis, a vestibule with a spire, and a small entrance porch to the west. The main part is made of stone, the arches and spire of brick. The floor is around 80 centimeters below ground level. The soil is lower on the north side, suggesting the earlier presence of a cemetery.[1]

The altar exterior has five sides and a semicircular interior, with three arched windows and two niches at the north and south. The spire, which houses the bells, was built on older foundations in 1873, rising to 35 meters. It features four levels of arched windows. The architectural decoration is simple. The interior frescoes were painted in 1977–1979, in

neo-Byzantine style.[1]

Features

There is a gravestone fixed into the exterior altar apse wall, laid along an angle. It probably comes from the old cemetery, or from an earlier church, and was likely placed in its current position in 1802, when the church was expanded. Commemorating benefactors and

Tarnovo, supervised the Greek merchants of Transylvania and lived at Orăștie in 1705. The Romanian text mentions several local priests as well as the church founders.[3]

Another inscription above the entrance is much more recent. The iconostasis, in local Baroque style, has lavish decorations carved into the wood, and is gilt. The altar burned around 1800, and the iconostasis mentions a date of 1811; it was probably executed by an itinerant Serbian painter and his Aromanian assistant. The imposing candelabra dates to 1784, and two candleholders to 1850.[1]

A surrounding wall was begun in 1847, continued in 1866 and completed in 1896. The churchyard contains several stone crosses for the Aromanians who contributed to the church. Another stone cross, carved with symbolic motifs, stands near the wall.

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d (in Romanian) Description at the Orăștie tourist office site
  2. ^ a b Porumb, p. 275
  3. ^ a b Porumb, p. 276
  4. ^ (in Romanian) Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Hunedoara Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine

References

  • Marius Porumb, “Inscripții inedite de la Orăștie”, in Acta Musei Napocensis, vol. 31(II)/1995, pp. 275–277

45°50′33″N 23°11′55″E / 45.84247°N 23.19871°E / 45.84247; 23.19871

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