St. George's Church, Caransebeș
St. George's Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfântul Gheorghe) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 2 Piața Sf. Gheorghe, Caransebeș, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint George.
The church was originally founded as a wooden structure in 1444. Over time, it served as a monastery, as the city’s first library and as a deacons’ school. Its rebuilding as a stone and brick structure began in 1725 and was completed by 1757. A commemorative altar stone inscribed in Slavonic dates to 1759, and probably marks the completion of the interior decoration.[1]
The church suffered damage during the Austro-Turkish War of 1788–1791, subsequently undergoing repairs and a new consecration in 1796. Additional repairs took place between 2000 and 2008.[1]
The church interior was painted in four stages by different artists between 1757 and 1862, in part necessitated by war damage. The latest restoration took place in 1984-1985. The iconostasis, painted in Baroque style, dates to 1863. The icons were done in 1863-1864 by a Viennese Academic painter.[1]
In 1865, the church became the cathedral of the Diocese of Caransebeș. It served as such until 2010, when a new cathedral opened.[1] The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.[2]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c d (in Romanian) Description at the Caransebeș Tourist Office site
- ^ (in Romanian) Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Caraș-Severin Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine