Oraşul medieval românesc extracarpatic, loc al inovării arhitecturii bisericeşti pană în secolul XIX
The Medieval Romanian Towns from Outside the Arch of the Carpathian Mountains as Sites of Renewal for Sacred Architecture till the 19th Century

Summary/Abstract: Along history, the relation between town and sacred architecture constantly remained a characteristic feature in the middle ages. In the medieval towns from outside of the Carpathian Mountains (i.e. the regions of Moldavia and Walachia) the churches were from the moment of their erection, either important elements of the urban and districts’ centers, or annexes to ensembles like noblemen courts, monasteries, inns etc. Two aspect of the relation between the medieval town and the church will be studied in the paper. First, from the urban point of view, an analysis of the dynamic the position in town of the newly built churches along history suffers. The second aspect considered will be the changes of the architectural forms. As case studies, I propose two pairs of towns (important towns, former main cities, and small town) from the two main regions: Iaşi – Târgu Ocna (for Moldavia) and Târgovişte – Buzău (for Walachia). One of the conclusions of this paper is that the Romanian medieval town and, especially the former princely residences, were always places where one experienced new models of sacred architecture, one combined forms and structures and showed a special permeability to exterior influences. This phenomenon is especially to be seen from the 17th to the 19th century. Discussing the contemporary situation, one can see a similar phenomenon. If in rural areas and in small provincial towns, the erection of new churches is generally a conformist gesture, very narrowly controlled as form and quite indifferent to the urban context, in big cities - a special case could be Timişoara – sacred architecture is in search of their origins, combining models, innovating, even if respecting the canonic basis.

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