Baia de Aramă: Monastery, Wooden Churches and Protected Area

Baia de Aramă and the churches in Pistriţa, Brebina and Titerlești can be distinguished by their construction dates, architecture and respective classifications. The focus is on the church of the former Sfinții 24 Voievozi Monastery, wooden churches with different architectural forms, and other historic churches. A nationally important nature reserve adds a landscape dimension to this cultural and historical focus.

The monastery and the history of religious architecture

The church of the former Sfinții 24 Voievozi Monastery in Baia de Aramă is a historic monument of religious architecture. It was built between 1699 and 1703; surviving wall paintings date from 1703. The construction period and the paintings thus provide two specific historical reference points for the same church.

The Sfinții Voievozi Monastery in Baia de Aramă celebrated a second patronal feast in honor of Saint Marina on July 17, 2019. Her feast day is observed every year on July 17.

Historic churches in Pistriţa, Brebina and Titerlești

The wooden church of Adormirea Maicii Domnului, dating from 1819, stands in Pistriţa. Its nave is rectangular, while the altar is pentagonal. Its location is more precisely described as the center of the village, about 50 meters west of the DC40 local road and next to the cemetery. The church is listed as a historic monument under LMI code MH-II-m-B-10376. Its description shows both a specific construction year and two different ground-plan shapes: the rectangular nave and the pentagonal altar.

The wooden church of Sfinții Apostoli Petru și Pavel in Brebina is a historic monument and a representative example of Oltenia’s wooden churches. Its single-nave ground plan has no tower; the roof is covered with wooden shingles. In comparison with the church in Pistriţa, different architectural features are emphasized here: the ground plan, tower and roofing rather than the shape of the nave and altar. This makes the two churches distinguishable by their described architecture.

The Sfinții Voievozi Church in Titerlești is also a historic monument. It is listed under LMI code MH-II-m-B-10424 and was built in 1825. Alongside the 1819 construction date of the wooden church in Pistriţa and the 1699–1703 construction period of the monastery church, this brings different historical periods into view.

Landscape and nature

Baia de Aramă Monastery lies in a small hollow, surrounded by the hills of Dochiciu, Dealul-Mare and Cornet. The Cornetul Băii şi Valea Mânăstirii nature reserve is a nationally important protected area within the administrative territory of the town of Baia de Aramă. The hollow and the three named hills describe the landscape around the monastery; the protected-area designation applies to the town’s administrative territory.

Road connections for regional orientation

From Baia de Aramă Monastery, national roads lead to Târgu Jiu, Motru, Strehaia and Drobeta Turnu Severin, as well as to the spa towns of Băile Herculane and Bala. These connections provide a broader regional orientation and include both cities and spa towns. Together with the historic buildings and landscape, they offer a picture of the destination that presents cultural and geographical points of interest side by side.

Discover more destinations: Dubova, Floreşti, Godeanu, Şimian, Orșova, Gura Văii, Corcova, Eșelnița

For the main travel overview: Mehedinti.