The Baroque Complex in Oradea

The Baroque Complex in Oradea is composed of the Roman-Catholic Bishopric Palace (or the Baroque Palace, described here), the Roman-Catholic Basilica and the Row of the Canons, three splendid Baroque buildings that once belonged to the same architectural complex. Now, the situation has returned, all three buildings belong to the Roman-Catholic Bishopric of Oradea.

The Row Of The Canons (Şirul Canonicilor Street), represents in fact an architectural complex composed of 57 arches that form a long corridor of over 250 meters uniting 10 buildings. It was built between 1750-1875, after the project of architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt. By 1780 there were erected 7 of the 10 buildings, two buildings were completed in 1863, and the tenth was completed in 1875, more than 100 years of starting construction of the first building. In the initial phase in the complex of buildings had included a Roman-Catholic seminary, but that was not built here. They sheltered the canons of the Bishopric.

Even if not unitary from an architectural point of view, a skillful eye can notice the differences in shape and dimension of the windows that give the aspect of a whole thanks to the archway supported by massive pillars and Bohemian-style vaults. The baroque style is the predominant one, even if there are specialists who assert
that it is more a Transylvanian popular classical architecture. The curious
ones can count the 56 vaults of the complex that, when looked at from an end to the other, give the impression of an endless row.

The Ascension of the Holy Virgin Roman-Catholic Cathedral (Şirul Canonicilor Street) is located inside the park that still shelters the Ţării Crişurilor Museum (the Baroque Palace). The access to the cathedral can be done either on the main gate or on the gate that leads to the nave. It is the masterpiece of the Viennese architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt, the one who accepted Bishop Paulus Forgács’s proposal of building it. It is worth mentioning the fact that, from 1750 until May 1, 1752, when the head-stone was laid, the name of the Austrian architect was omnipresent, but, from that moment on, he disappeared and was replaced by the Italian constructor Giovanni Battista Ricca. A sad fate hung above those whose names were linked to this worship establishment. The Italian Ricca died in 1756. The arrival of a new bishop, Adam Patachich, gave a new impulse to the construction. He arranged that the cathedral be built by the Austrian Johann Michael Neumann under the supervision of the same Franz Anton Hillebrandt, who meanwhile had become chief architect of the Imperial Court. In 1761, Ricca’s plans were replaced by new ones and that is why, instead of a north-Italian Baroque basilica a late-Austrian Baroque building was erected. After several modifications to the plans and hold-backs, works ended in the summer of 1779. One year later, on the 25th of June 1780, the halidom was dedicated.

The altars of the basilica are of classic, reflecting the preference for sobriety and simplicity specific to the late phase of the Baroque. The dimensions of the cathedral are the following: length 68 m, width 30 m, height of dome 24 m, height of tower 61 m. The cupola fresco represents "The Triumph of July heavenly Christ" by John Schopf, in a style called "II Correggro" (1778), others are the work of painter Francis Storno (1878-1880). The main altar is of Carrara marble, carved by Italian foreman Triscornia after the plans of Stefan Toth, in Neo-Renaissance style (1897). The two statues, executed in 1897 by Francis Eberhardt, represents St. Stephen and St. Emeric. The main altar painting, titled "Raising at Heaven of the Virgin Mary" was painted in 1778 the Austrian artist Vincent Fischer, in the style of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The two paintings in the secondary naves, representing St. Ladislaus and The Holy Family, were realized by painter Vincent Fischer.

At the side entry of the cathedral there are several funerary monuments from 15th and 16th centuries, in Gothic and Renaissance styles, which belonged to the ancient cathedral of the city. The organ dates from 1780, is the work of Fridolin Festl, and has been given to the cathedral by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The Basilica houses the relics of St. Ladislaus.

Basarabi Cave Complex

Basarabi Cave Complex is a medieval cave complex located in the town of Basarabi, Constanţa County, Romania.


The complex of cave monuments in Basarabi was discovered in 1957 during the limestone quarry activities. The complex used from the second half of the 9th to the half of the 11th century consists of a number of galleries, dwellings, crypts, tombs, six chapels and a quarry from the same epoch, where limestone was cut out. All the composing elements of the architectural complex are dug into the chalky limestone hill at different levels, into the vertical walls of the ancient quarry.


The main conclusions regarding the location, the role and the significance of the cave monuments were already drawn, though studies about them are not yet finished. Dobruja was under Byzantine Empire rule during those centuries, rule again established at the mouth of the Danube after a short period of its political and military decline from the beginning of the 7th cent. A representative elements series of this archaeological complex is specific for the Dobrujan Romanian population. The limestone deposit exploiting system in open-air scales and terraces, used since ancient times in Roman quarries (including Dobruja) was unknown to migrant populations. Many of the excavated tombs were built according to older, Roman traditions. Two types represent ceramics: the local, Dridu type and the imported Byzantine one, inheriting older, Greek and Roman traditions. Regarding building conceptions, religious frameworks, with apses, central and side naves, though little, keep exactly the plan of Roman-Byzantine basilicas (including those in Dobruja) from the 4th-6th cent. A.D. The entire ensemble, with its rich figurative and symbolic decoration, represents an especially important document for our history, until now unique in eastern parts of Europe.


Decoration consists of human figures, orants, riders, animals, birds, laic and religious symbols etc. A large interest group is represented by fantastic figures like monsters and dragons. These ones, together with also on the walls represented halberds are of northern, Viking origin, a fact also confirmed by anthropological analysis of two skeletons. The same northern origin, accepted by all scientists, is proven by the image of a Viking ship. Beside other elements excavated from the 10th-11th centuries in Dinogetia (Tulcea County), specific also to Vikings, these discoveries were linked to the trade route between Scandinavian areas and Constantinople, known under the name “the route from the Varegs (= Vikings) to the Greek”.


A special attention must be given to the large number of inscriptions carved into the walls, using the Greek, proto-Glagolitic, Glagolitic alphabet and Runic signs. It is proven, that Greek, proto-Glagolitic and Glagolitic alphabets were used by a Romanic population. Recently even a number of Romanian language inscriptions were deciphered, containing specific religious idioms. The language of the Asiatic Runes and mixed inscriptions is still unknown. It may be Proto-Bulgarian, as suggested by a lot of Bulgarian scholars, or Turanic, as implied by Romanian scholars. It is said that the names included are of Romanian (Latin) origin, such as "Petre" and even the possibly Nordic "Rainpilpe".


After the cave complex was discovered, between 1957 and 1962 first protection measures were taken, with a wooden structure covering and protecting it against rain and wind, but this didn't much lower temperature differences. Between 1971 and 1974 final preservation and conservation works took place, especially in the area of the cave churches and galleries. But only three protection-building segments of seven were completed, covering a surface of 924 m². In 1975 these works were stopped as a result of financial difficulties. In 1981 local authorities and an architecture institute elaborated a project to protect segments 4 to 7 of the complex. The main functional elements were to be covered by a building to assure its protection and museum functionality, with platforms for visitors and exhibition spaces, consolidation of the chalky limestone slope, reconstitution of original elements in special rooms and inside the galleries.