EAA2020: Abstract

Round churches were relatively common in Europe during the 10th to 13th centuries and highly popular in the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1972, no less than eighty rotundas were inventoried on its territory. Of these, only three were known in Transylvania and its vicinities: in Pelişor, Geoagiu de Jos and Alba Iulia. In the last decades, this repertoire was substantially enlarged thanks to the contributions of archaeology and of the reinterpretation of existing buildings or ruins. It may thus speak of at least eleven round-shaped buildings of medieval origin, each of them representing a different case in terms of topography (layout and location on the site), context and even function and chronology. Most of such buildings were built in the territory which was colonised by German settlers in Southern Transylvania, one is located in the ecclesiastical centre of Alba Iulia, while others are scattered throughout the territory.
This paper reviews the rotundas from Transylvania, based on most recent archaeological data. The topic is approached from a complex view, discussing the churches within the architectural, social and artistic context of their emergence and function.

Round churches, Transylvania, ecclesiastical landscape, medieval church, medieval archaeology

 Abstract (PDF)

Daniela Veronica Istrate¹