Timișoara Orthodox Cathedral
Orthodox Cathedral | ||
---|---|---|
Catedrala Ortodoxă | ||
Year consecrated 1946 | | |
Status | Active | |
Administrator | Eugen Goanță[1] | |
Location | ||
Location | King Ferdinand I Boulevard, Timișoara | |
Geographic coordinates | 45°45′2″N 21°13′27″E / 45.75056°N 21.22417°E | |
Architecture | ||
Architect(s) | Ion Trajanescu | |
Style | Neo-Moldavian | |
General contractor | Tiberiu Eremia | |
Groundbreaking | 1936 | |
Completed | 1940 | |
Construction cost | 30 million lei[2] | |
Specifications | ||
Capacity | 5,000 | |
Length | 63 m | |
Width | 32 m | |
Height (max) | 90.5 m | |
Dome(s) | 11 |
The Orthodox Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Ortodoxă), also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Mitropolitană), is a Romanian Orthodox church in Timișoara. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishopric of Timișoara and the Metropolis of Banat. It is dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
Built on an area of 1,542 m2, it has 11 towers, of which the central one has a height of 90.5 m, making it the second tallest church in Romania, after the People's Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest.[3] The cathedral is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.[4]
History
The history of the cathedral is closely linked to the year 1919, when, on 28 July,
There was an obvious need to build a new place of worship, commensurate with the Orthodox community in Timișoara and the Romanian Banat. At the initiative of the parish of
The actual construction began on 16 March 1936. On 20 December of the same year, a solemn service was held, laying the foundation stone of the future cathedral (which was consecrated by Bishop Andrei Magieru of Arad).[7] The execution of the construction works was done by Tiberiu Eremia's company from Bucharest.[2] The church bells and crosses were consecrated on 23 August 1938. The final reception of the construction works took place on 9 July 1940, and the parish council approved this reception on 24 July.[2] The cathedral was inaugurated on 6 October 1946 in the presence of King Michael I, Prime Minister Petru Groza, Patriarch Nicodim Munteanu, Bishop of Timișoara Vasile Lăzărescu , Metropolitan of Transylvania Nicolae Bălan and representatives of other cults, led by Roman Catholic bishop Augustin Pacha and Greek Catholic bishop Ioan Bălan. During World War II, after Romania turned its weapons against Germany, German aircraft bombed Timișoara (30–31 October 1944). Six bombs fell on the cathedral, but only one of them exploded, causing significant but limited damage.[8] The interior and exterior painting was finished only in 1956, due to World War II and the difficult period that followed.
Architecture
The building's style is
63 meters long and 32 meters wide,
The plan shape of the cathedral is the typical Byzantine one, in the shape of a cross, the interior being divided into
Museum exhibitions
The cathedral houses the relics of Joseph the New, considered the protector of the Romanian Orthodox in Banat, former Orthodox bishop of Timișoara (1651–1655), who came from Mount Athos and then retreated to the Partoș Monastery. On 25 February 1950, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to canonize Joseph the New, as well as to relocate his relics from the church of the Partoș Monastery to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timișoara.[12]
In the basement of the cathedral is the collection of religious art of the Metropolis of Banat. This collection, organized at the initiative of
See also
References
- ^ "Prezentare". Mitropolia Banatului.
- ^ a b c d e Both, Ștefan (5 March 2015). "20 de lucruri inedite despre Catedrala Mitropolitană din Timișoara". Adevărul.
- ^ a b Silaghi, Vali (25 April 2013). "Cum s-a construit unul dintre simbolurile Timișoarei, Catedrala Mitropolitană". Adevărul.
- ^ "Lista monumentelor istorice" (PDF). Institutul Național al Patrimoniului. 2015. p. 2482. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- OCLC 5410558.
- ^ Ionescu, Grigore (1982). Arhitectura pe teritoriul României de-a lungul veacurilor. Bucharest: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România. p. 580.
- OCLC 64400612.
- ^ a b c "Catedrala Mitropolitană". Timisoara-Info.ro. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Să cunoaștem Timișoara". 2011. pp. 25–29.
- ^ "Catedrala Mitropolitană, Timișoara". Welcome to Romania.
- ^ a b c Bude, Ioan (2 February 2012). "Catedrala din Timișoara, stil și eleganță". Ziarul Lumina.
- ^ a b c d Danalache, Teodor (25 June 2012). "Catedrala Mitropolitană din Timișoara". CrestinOrtodox.ro.
- ^ "Colecția muzeală a Mitropoliei Ortodoxe a Banatului". Muzee și Colecții din România.