Greek Church (Alba Iulia)
The Greek Church (Romanian: Biserica Grecească) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 7 Avram Iancu Street, Alba Iulia, Romania. It is dedicated to the Feast of the Annunciation.
The church was built between 1782 and 1794.[1] Its name refers to the Aromanian merchants who contributed to its construction. The need for the church appears linked to the takeover of the Lipoveni Church by Romanian Greek-Catholics. When built, it was situated in a field on the edge of the city; it now has a central position.[2] On the morning of December 1, 1918, Bishop Miron Cristea held an Orthodox service inside the church, before heading to the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia.[1]
A hall church, it has a detached semicircular apse and a nave in three sections.[1] The bell tower adjoining the western side has two entrances, and harmonizes with the rest of the structure.[2][1] The interior features a wooden balcony. The impressive iconostasis was painted in the early 19th century by an artist from Abrud and his assistants,[1] using a typical Baroque style.[2] The late-19th century mural painting survives in the altar.[1] Among the church’s possessions are 15 icons painted by a Rășinari artist in 1768, a candleholder and censer donated the same year, another icon from 1783 and two other candleholders from 1794.[1]
The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.[3]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g (in Romanian) Description at the Alba Iulia City Hall site
- ^ a b c (in Romanian) Description at the Alba Iulia tourist office site
- ^ (in Romanian) Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Alba Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine