„HOLY TRINITY” ORTHODOX CHURCH OF MAIERI I

„HOLY TRINITY” ORTHODOX CHURCH OF MAIERI I

Also known as the Holy Trinity Church – Pânzari, the place is the fourth (after the churches of Maieri I, Centru and Lipoveni) and the last of the eighteenth century, built for the Romanian population settled down in the Lower Town. The great historian, Nicolae Iorga, suggested the idea that the building of the church is due to the Romanian guilds of shoemakers and boatmen from river Mures. The construction of the church took place after 1785, which is the year of the execution of the great leaders of the uprising that shook Transylvania, Horea and Closca. In fact, the leaders of the uprising received the last sacrament and conceived their will right here, but in another church edifice, demolished probably at the beginning of the construction of the current wall church. Horea’s communion church priest was Nicholas Rat, the „orthodox parish priest” from „Maierii Bălgradului”.

The Orthodox official service was held in this church on the morning of December 1, 1918, along with the Greek-Catholic liturgy service held at the nearby church – Maieri II. Also here is buried the body of Ion Arion, so called the „Union Martyr”, who was shot dead at the railway station in Teius, at 30 November 1918, on his way to the Alba Iulia Assembly.

The church has always belonged to the Orthodox, for this reason it was not the object of the disputes between the Orthodox and the United, like there is in the case of other churches in from city erected in the time. Generally, the church has a similar plan to the other three previously raised churches, a church-room with a massive bell tower and a polygonal apse towards east. However, it has particularities, such as the well-pronounced pentagonal shape of the apse. Like the Maieri II church in the vicinity, the shape of the bell tower helmet is spectacular.

Several spectacular elements of the church’s patrimony mentioned in the past were lost, others they are kept in the patrimony of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Alba Iulia. Also, the painting was made in the 20’s by Romania painter Traian Achim, under the guidance of Costin Petrescu, the favorite painter of the Royal House, is no longer preserved. The new painting dates back to 1992. A mosaic depicting the Trinity, above the entrance, sends to the patronage of the church. On the facade, two more marble tiles have been recently placed, recalling the event of the tragic death of Horia, Closca and Crisan from 28 February 1785, which are the great leaders of the uprising from Transylvania, also pointing to poet Mihai Eminescu and his participation in the Astra gathering from 1866.

Scientific consultant: Tudor Roșu, PhD historian

Translation made by: Ciprian Dobra, PR expert