The Densuș Church

A lot of stories circulate regarding the church in Densuș: it is said that it is the oldest stone church in Romania, with uninterrupted service for almost 2000 years. If you arrive in the area, some locals will tell you that they heard from their ancestors that the church was built by "giants", whose presence is still felt in the collective mind of Hațeg area.

In fact, the Retezat massif mountain range itself has a name descended from stories with the giants of yesteryear, but this is another story, which we will tell you at the right time.

The Densuș Church, currently an Orthodox place of worship

Historians say that the “Saint Nicholas” church in Densuș, currently a functional Orthodox place of worship, is indeed one of the oldest churches in Romania. It would have been built in the XII-XIII centuries, being thus surpassed by at least a century by the even older "roundabout" from Geoagiu, also in Hunedoara county.

One of the stories shared among the locals is that there existed a Dacian altar here more than 2000 years ago. After the conquest of the new province, rich in gold, wood, but also the fruits of the earth, which the Romans call Dacia Felix, one of the legends says that General Longinus, grateful to his protective god, the god Mars, god of war, built a Christian church here.

In fact, the locals boast a few legendary records: the oldest stone church (although this story is not verified), the oldest icon with Christ painted in Romanian, but also an emotional story, a kind of Romeo and Juliet from Hațeg region, a legend that is said to have come on the chain of the Densusian scholarly brothers and which you can find out only if you will stay as a host for the welcoming Hategians.

The Densuș Church, appreciated by Nicolae Iorga

But let's look at some definite data: built in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, on the ruins of a ninth-century building, much of the building material comes from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the new capital of Roman-conquered Dacia, located a few kilometers away.

Writing about this church, Nicolae Iorga noted that it is "unparalleled in all of Romania." Its extremely old painting seems to date from the 15th century, and the church in Densuș is on the list of monuments proposed to enter the UNESCO patrimony.

The initial church was small, having a space of 6 metres squared, but between the 14th and 15th centuries, new rooms were added in its southern side. Densuș is one of the best attractions because of the Roman stone used, the lions carved in the church's walls and the mural painted in 1443 by the famous Ștefan and his team. Archaeology specialists consider that the church belongs to Romanian cnezial edifice.

Although no definitive consensus has been reached so far, given that history can be reinterpreted in the light of new discoveries, historians specializing in medieval archeology believe that the church belongs to the category of Romanian princely buildings. The founders of the place are suspected to be the noble hațegani from the Mușana family. Another variant, apart from the legend that Longinus himself would have erected the religious monument, is that the church was built, in fact, in the memory of the Roman general.

The painter Ștefan, the author of the paintings on the altar

What is known for sure about the church, apart from the signer of the painting from 1443, is the name of a priest, the oldest known priest, who seems to have been called Dalc. The main painter, the painter Ștefan, trained, according to the specialists, in the painting tradition specific to the period of the Basarab people and of the much better known monastery from Curtea de Argeș, is the author of the paintings on the entire altar.

He mentions, on the left side of the entrance to the church: "Painted by Stephen". An inscription in Slavonic brings some clarifications and completions, it is fragmented, so not very clear: "… in the year 6952 (ie 1443) the month of October 23rd it was painted Saint Nicholas… landlady and girls… Amen".

From the middle of the 16th century, for almost two centuries, the frescoes were covered with lime and it seems that, during this period, the place of worship would have served, at the same time, both the Orthodox community and the Reformed of the local nobles (nemesis), Protestants, Hungarians. There was also a Calvinist parish in the area, and the monumental church was taken over, at 1,700 units, and was to be returned to the Orthodox community a few decades later.

If you visit the church in Densuș, you will find that the saints painted on the walls have their eyes removed all including the plaster. The stories of the villagers say that the eyes of the saints were imposed by the Muslim (Turkish) invaders who arrived in the area, as revenge on the Christians they wanted to conquer and subjugate.

The Country of Hațeg, history, stories and legends

For these stories, but also for many others, for the Volcano Road, for the stories with dwarf dinosaurs from Hațeg, unique in the world, for the House of Volcanoes, for the stories related to the swamp in Peşteana, where you can find the strange carnivorous plant, but also for the Village Museum Hațegan from Peșteana where your aunt Antonică Socaci is waiting for you, a passionate about tradition, the church from Densuș is the perfect reason to start the road.

The land of Hațeg is amazing, it's no wonder writers said this is just like a small Switzerland. You can always stop for a moment and smell the fresh air from Densuș. It will cherish you up!