EAA2020: Abstract

A variation of the central type ground-plan arrangement are represented by churches with multiple apses. Such constructions emerge on the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary as early as the 10th century, however, they most likely belong to the period of Árpád dinasty. In Transylvania, several examples are known, the majority being more or less justifiably dated to the Middle Ages, based on archaeological excavations. The proposed poster shall focus on the example provided by the church at the margin of the town Odorheiu Secuiesc. The settlement was a market-town during the Middle Ages, being one of the most developed urban center in the the Székely Land. The church’s layout is composed of 4 lobes symmetrically distributed around a 3.4 m side square. Due to its structure, it was believed that the church is a Romanesque building of 13th century. This early dating was nonetheless questioned in the 1970’es, when in the foundation ditch, a 16th century coin was discovered. The unusual dating, ignored for a long time by specialists, has been recently confirmed by the new archaeological excavations. The poster shall briefly present the issue of these church types, synthesising hypotheses expressed based on archaeological and architectural data, by contrast with existing presumptions.

four-lobed churches, Transylvania, Székely Land, church archaeology, medieval archaeology, ecclesiastical landscape

 Abstract (PDF)

Marianne Dumitrache¹

Daniela Veronica Istrate²