Оброчни кръстове в района на селата Ново Бърдо и Калотина, Софийско
Votive Sanctuaries in the Vicinity of the Villages of Novo Burdo and Kalotina, Sofia Region

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the votive stone sanctuaries from the villages of Novo Bardoand Kalotina, Sofia region. Most of them remained unpublished until now. Based on carved inscriptions and the analysis of the stylistic features, these monuments are dated between the beginning of the 19th and the middle of the 20th century. They were produced primarily in the stonecutter’s workshops of the nearby village of Gintsi. The most common shape is a pillar-based Greek cross with trapezoid-shaped arms – with or without transverse arcs. Today the votive stone sanctuaries are in various stages of preservation and are mostly destroyed or abandoned. The oldest votive stones are situated inside or around the village cemeteries, while the later ones are erected mainly in churchyards or agricultural fields. This observation reveals an intriguing local peculiarity. The shape and ornamentation of the votive stone monuments do not differ essentially from the local gravestones. That proves without a doubt that they were mass-produced and served various religious purposes.

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