Medieval Church of Streisângeorgiu

The church of Streisingeorgiu is considered the oldest Romanian medieval monument. It has been constructed by princes of the Bâlea family before the XII century, in the place of a wooden church built sometime during the VII or VIII century. Historians have found several arguments to prove the church's age. Among these is a slavonic inscription found on the church's walls which dates back to 1314, coins from the time of king Bela (1131 – 1141 Ad) found in 2 of the graves near the church consist further proof to sustain this theory. Judging by the crude and rustic outline of the masonry the church was most likely built by locals. Inside the church on the east front of the tower, we can still find the following inscription:"în numele Tatălui şi Fiului şi Duhului Sfânt, au zidit jupân Cândreş şi jupâniţa lui Nistora şi fiii lui această mănăstire Sfântului mare mucenic şi ataş a lui Hristos, Gheorghe şi s-a săvârşit şi s-a scris, pentru pomenirea şi sănătatea şi mântuirea sufletelor lor, în zilele lui Jigmon crai, voievozi ai plaiurilor fiind Ioaneş şi Iacov, anul 6917 (1409), octombrie 2 zile”", which roughly translates to:"In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit, maser Cândreş and mistress Nistora and sons have built this monastery for the great holly martyr and servant of Christ Gheorghe and it has been done, and it has been written, for the eternal memory and the health and the salvation of their souls, in the days of the prince Jigmon, rules of this land being Ioaneş and Iacov, year 6917 (1409), October days 2" the oldest known writing in Romanian medieval art.

The church has been rebuilt in the years 1408-1409 by prince Cândreş and his wife Nistoria. The painting was done by master Teofil. The votive painting shows the family of the founders, in center prince Cândreş and his wife hold a model of the church, on their sides boyar Laţco, Cândreş's brother and Vlaicu his son. An altering of the original architecture, the adding of the west tower and the replication of the church's interior took place during the same century. In the XVIII century another entrance has been added. In present all that remains of the interior is the votive painting of the Cândreş family.

Between 1976 and 1980 intense research has been conducted on the site and it has been declared a historic monument. Also during these years it has been decided the church should be kept in it's original form.

text source www.calan.info.ro/Atractii.htm
translation by Unnu