The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral impresses both by its size and by the artistic value of the monument, being at the moment one of the most representative places of worship in our country. Built according to the plans of the architect Ioan Traianescu, the cathedral harmoniously combines the elements of Byzantine architecture with those of the old Romanian architecture. It was consecrated on October 6, 1946.
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The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral impresses both by its dimensions and by the artistic value of the monument, being at the moment one of the most representative places of worship in our country.
The actual construction of the building began in 1936, with the consecration of the cornerstone by the Bishop of Arad, Andrei Magieru. Built according to the plans of the architect Ioan Traianescu and entrepreneur Tiberiu Eremia, paintings by Atanasie Demian, iconostasis and sculptures by Ştefan Gajo, furniture by Traian Novac; the cathedral is built in neo-Romanian / neo-Moldovan style, with Byzantine and eclectic elements inside. Broadly speaking, the cathedral was built over a period of five years, the built area comprising 1,542 m, the capacity of the Cathedral being estimated at about 5,000 believers.
On October 6, 1946, the cathedral was consecrated, and the procession was attended by, among others, Patriarch Nicodim Munteanu and King Mihai I.
The Metropolitan Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Three Hierarchs has a cross-shaped plan, the height of the dome reaching 83 meters. The foundation of the building is built on a huge reinforced concrete slab, supported by pillars driven up to 20 meters deep under the concrete slab. The towers are covered with glazed tiles, and the bells were harmonized by the composer Sabin Drăgoi.
In the basement, the Metropolitan Cathedral houses an impressive collection of old Banat church art and a valuable collection of icons. Also in the basement, we can find the necropolis of the metropolitans of Banat. The first metropolitan buried here was Vasile Lăzărescu. Inside, the cathedral was enriched with the relics of Metropolitan Iosif cel Nou, who were displaced from the Partoş monastery in 1956.
Bibliography:
- Ioan Munteanu, Rodica Munteanu, Timiș Monografie, Marineasa Publishing House, Timișoara, 1998, p. 319.
- I.D. Suciu, D. Niculescu, V.Gh. Țigu, The Cathedral of the Banat Metropolitanate, Banat Metropolitanate Publishing House, Timișoara, 1979.
- https://mitropolia-banatului.ro/prezentare-2/ - site accessed in May 2022.
- Mihai Opriș, Mihai Botescu - Historical Architecture in Timișoara, Tempus Publishing House, Timișoara, 2014
Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral - Metropolitan Cathedral "Holy Three Hierarchs" in Timisoara
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“In the alleys from the cathedral I found the soul of the classic. The same sadness, the same organic joy of stepping on Timișoara soil. For as long as I can remember, nostalgia; places and states without return, the north - maybe it doesn’t even exist as I imagine it and maybe I will never see it -, the face of a woman who was young twenty years ago, in another country. In all these, as in my great sad joys; books, trees, friends, hills and sunsets, and as in this city which I can read like a poem, in all these rests my soul.” (Livius Ciocârlie, The Sunken Bell, Cartea Românească, 1988, p. 323-324)
“We were literally carried away by the waves of people on both sidewalks, flowing like fast, colorful rivers, flowing, flowing tirelessly, in one direction: the heart and core of the great city. It seemed like the whole city was out in the streets...
We could see from afar the cross on top of the Metropolitan Cathedral and its colorful roof tiles glowing in the growing daylight. As we approached the city center, a distinctly human roar was growing louder. The high, white, clear sky proved that, though it was past mid-December, it would be a clear, sunny, spring-like day.” (Ion Arieșanu, The Best Die First, Timișoara, Amarcord, 1998, p. 87-88)
