DENSUS CHURCH

At Densus exists a bizarre but very elegant church. It is very near from the former Roman Dacia capital - Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Sarmizegetusa. This strange building from the Hateg County was the object of many controverses between scientists, eager to find its origines. Some had considered that the church was fisrt a mausoleum for Roman general Longinus Maximus, killed by the Dacians; others that it was a temple for Mars god; Nicolae Iorga said that the monument dates from 14th century, and art historian Vatasescu in the last quarter of the 13th century.

Many investigations were made. But the monument is still keeping his mistery. On assume the the old church was modified along the centuries, specially at the end of the 13th. Build from river rocks, bricks with Roman inscriptions, funerary stones, canalisation, etc., taken from Ulpia Traiana, the Densus church has a bizarre aspect, being admired but also looked with astonishment. In the interior some fragments of painting are kept. The paintings from the upper naos and altar are signed by the artist Stefan (signature that can be seen till today) and are revealing the great artistic skills of the master. The features of the painting send us to those of the St. Nicolae Church from Curtea de Arges, built in the 14th century. The resemblance is telling us that a master from Vallachia was present here in Transylvania.