Story
The story of Timișoara Orthodox Cathedral
Tilt your head back: the central tower of this cathedral rises 90.5 metres, making it the second tallest church in Romania. It has eleven towers in all and was designed to hold 5,000 people. After part of the Banat was united with Romania in 1919, the new administration encouraged Orthodoxy, and the parish of the historic centre began collecting donations for a great new church.
The City Hall donated the land, at the crossroads of the city's most important streets, and gave all the bricks free of charge, while the Reșița Steel Works offered a discount on the iron. Architect Ion Trajanescu drew the plans, and construction began on 16 March 1936. The cathedral was inaugurated on 6 October 1946 in the presence of King Michael I. In October 1944 German aircraft bombed Timișoara; six bombs fell on the cathedral, but only one exploded. Notice the neo-Moldavian style, with niches under the eaves and lacquered discs in many colours.
The painting was finished only in 1956.
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