St. Nicholas Church Densuş, Transilvania

St. Nicholas Church Densuş - details and images

St. Nicholas Church Densuş, Hunedoara county, is one of the oldest and most enigmatic Byzantine churches in Romania. It is among the few churches where the liturgy service was held without interruption over the centuries that have elapsed since its construction. It is also the oldest church in Romania who still hold jobs.

Construction date has not been clearly established, there are several hypotheses, even controversial, but most are circulated during the 13th century. The fact is that the church has undergone many changes over the years is very difficult to tell what changes have been made and when.

Unanimous opinion among experts is that the church was built on the ruins Densuş an ancient building (Roman period). Some say that the place would have been the mausoleum of the Roman general Maximus Longinus - killed by the Dacians, others argue that it was a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mars. This seems to be proved by the direction of the altar, closer to south than east direction. Pigeon roof shape and decoration (stone lions) also betrays a pagan origins.

After the Romanians in Transylvania were united with the church of Rome became a place of worship of the Greek Rite Catholic Church but with the coming of the communists after World War II Greek-Catholic Church was dissolved and the church Densuş returned to the Orthodox Church.

The church has a length of 30 meters, width of 8 meters, 18 meters height and interior space of 15 square meters. The walls were built of bricks with Roman inscriptions, capitals, gravestones, sewerage pipes, blocks, marble columns and statues taken from Ulpia Traiana. Narthex, in the form of L is found, guarded by four thick pillars, dressed in tombstones. Also, all the altar table is made from a tombstone on which the letters were erased. Above are two lions that stand with their backs to one another. The nave is pierced by a tower around which a narrow space is covered with an arch support and is an east apse.

The roof is made of stone slabs. Mural painting inside an ultramarine blue background, was given in the fifteenth century and the craftsman who made it has left a simple signature: Stefan. On one of the pillars is the baby Jesus, wrapped in the cost of Romanian folk, held by the Virgin Mary. Unfortunately, many paintings were destroyed by the reformers in the Middle Ages.

Experts say that the Church Densus could be a copy of the Church of San Nicoara Arges, of which only ruins were kept.
Coincidence would have and that is the same patron, St. Nicholas, the church and Arges.

A milestone in the history of the church occurred in the mid-nineteenth century. At one time the locals wanted to demolish to build a larger. Eventually it was rescued by the authorities in Budapest that they considered it a monument and banned demolition.

In the period prior to 1989 Church Densus image is one of the most common postage stamps, the money value of 40.

In a few years ago, with the support of U.S. Ambassador to Bucharest, Michael Guest, the church received a donation of 20,000 U.S. dollars from the state, money that was used to restore a large part of the painting.

To reach the church Densus car is going out of town about 10 kilometers Hateg and Totesti village center right is transferred. Accommodation only exist in Hateg or Sarmisegetusa.

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