| Curtea de Argeș Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Catedrala Curtea de Argeș | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Romanian Orthodox Church |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Patron | Dormition of the Mother of God[1][2](15 August) |
| Year consecrated |
|
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Curtea de Argeș,Argeș County,Romania |
 Interactive map of Curtea de Argeș Cathedral | |
| Coordinates | 45°9′25″N24°40′31″E / 45.15694°N 24.67528°E /45.15694; 24.67528 |
| Architecture | |
| Architects | André Lecomte du Noüy Nicolae Gabrielescu |
| Type | church |
| Style | Byzantine |
| Founder | Neagoe Basarab |
| Groundbreaking | 1512 |
| Completed | 1517 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 30 m |
| Width | 10 m |
| Height (max) | 30 m |
TheCathedral of Curtea de Argeș (early 16th century) is aRomanian Orthodox cathedral inCurtea de Argeș,Romania. It is located on the grounds of the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, and is dedicated to theDormition of the Mother of God. The building is the seat of theArchdiocese of Argeș and Muscel.
The cathedral is faced with pale grey limestone, which was easily chiselled and then hardened on exposure. The interior is of brick, plastered and decorated withfrescoes. Nearby on the grounds stands the largeNeo-Romanian style Royal Palace built in the late 19th century.[3]
The building resembles a very large and elaboratemausoleum, and was built in theByzantine architectural style, witharabesques. The cathedral sits upon a raised platform, 7 ft (2.1 m) above the surrounding grade, and encircled by a stonebalustrade. In shape the structure is oblong, with a many-sided annex at the back.
Adome rises in the center, fronted by two smaller twisting and leaningcupolas, while a secondary dome, broader and loftier than the central one, springs from the annex. Each summit is crowned by an inverted pear-shaped stone, bearing a triple cross, emblematic of the Trinity.[3]
The windows are mere slits; those of thetambours (the cylinders on which the cupolas rest) are curved and slant at an angle of 70 degrees, as though the tambours were leaning to one side.[3]
Between thepediment and thecornice a thick cordedmoulding is carried round the main building. Above this comes a row of circular shields, adorned with intricate arabesques, while bands and wreaths of lilies are everywhere sculptured on the windows, balconies, tambours and cornices, adding lightness to the fabric.[3]
Facing the main entrance is a small open shrine, consisting of a cornice and dome upheld by four pillars.[3]
The archives of the cathedral were plundered byHungarian andOttoman troops, but several inscriptions, Greek, Slavic, and Romanian, are left.[3]
One tablet records that the founders were PrinceNeagoe Basarab (1512–1521) and his wifeMilica Despina of Wallachia; another that Prince,Radu of Afumați completed the work in 1526; a third describes the repairs executed in 1681 by PrinceȘerban Cantacuzino; a fourth, the restoration, in 1804, by Joseph, the first bishop. Between 1875 and 1885 the cathedral was reconstructed, and in 1886 it was reconsecrated.[4]
Legends of Curtea de Argeș have inspired many Romanian poets, among them the celebratedVasile Alecsandri. One traditional legend describes how Neagoe Basarab, while a hostage inConstantinople, designed a splendidmosque for thesultan, returning to build the cathedral out of the surplus materials.[5]
A legend tells ofRadu Negru employing aMeșterul Manole or Manoli as architect. With Manole being unable to finish the walls, the prince threatened him and his assistants with death. At last Manole suggested that they should follow the ancient custom ofplacing a living woman into the foundations; and that she who first appeared on the following morning should be the victim. The other masons warned their families, and Manole was forced to sacrifice his own wife. Thus the cathedral was built.[5]
When Manole and his masons told the prince that they could always build an even greater building, Radu Negru had them stranded on the roof so that they could not build something to match it. They fashioned wooden wings and tried to fly off the roof, but, one by one, they all fell to the ground.[citation needed] A spring of clear water, named after Manole, is said to mark the spot where he fell.[5]
This motif is widespread in South-East Europe, most notably also inRussia, like the blinding of the Masons ofSaint Basil's Cathedral byIvan the Terrible.
On 16 December 2017, former kingMichael I was buried here with astate funeral, his remains joining those of his wife Anne, who had died in 2016.[7] Those attending the funeral includedCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden andQueen Silvia,Juan Carlos I of Spain andQueen Sofia,Charles, Prince of Wales,[8]Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, andPrincess Astrid andPrince Lorenz of Belgium.[9][10]
The remains ofHelen, the mother of King Michael, were returned to Romania from theBois-de-Vaux Cemetery in Switzerland on 18 October 2019. They were interred in the cathedral on 19 October.[11]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Curtea de Argesh".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 650–651.
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