Princely Church Of Saint Nicholas, Curtea De Argeș
History
The construction of the church began under the reign of Basarab I, with it being continued by Nicolae Alexandru (1352 - 1364) and finished once with the mural painting, mostly preserved until today, under the reign of Vladislav I of Wallachia (1364 - 1377).
Architecture
The architecture of the church is of the Byzantine type, the plan of the church belonging to the Cross-in-square type, ending with three apses to the east. The carved stone frames of the windows date back to the 17th century when the church was renovated. This church founded by the Basarabs in Curtea de Argeș is large: the rectangle in which the outer contour of its plan is inscribed is 14.55x23.50 m, and the height, measured at the top of the roof of the tower, reaches 23.00 m. The inner volume, well balanced, comprises three distinct rooms: a narrow narthex (2.80 m), a spacious nave (11.80 x 12.40 m) and the altar consisting of a large, central apse, framed by two apses. The nave, the main and most characteristic room of the church, has four pillars in the middle, arranged in a square shape. Through them, the interior is divided into three long compartments, three naves: one medium, wide, and two lateral, narrower, each extended to the east with an apse.
References
- ^ In Romanian: Bălan, Șt.; Mihăilescu, N. Șt. - Istoria Științei și tehnicii în România, date cronologice, Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, București, 1985, p.38.
- ^ In Romanian: https://www.crestinortodox.ro/biserici-manastiri/biserica-domneasca-sfantul-nicolae-curtea-arges-123583.html