Saint Nicholas Church in Orșova – Asociaţia Pro-Mehedinţi

Thematic Route: The Cultural Heritage Route

Name of the Turistic Attraction: Saint Nicholas Church in Orșova

Location: in Orșova City, Mehedinți County. Orșova is located at 29 km from Drobeta Turnu Severin. You can reach here from DN6 which connects Drobeta Turnu Severin to Timisoara and then from DN57 to Dubova.

Legend/ Story / Impressions / Recommendations: St. Nicholas Church in Orșova appears first mentioned in 1660 by a Turkish traveler named Evlija Celebi. He states in his writings that in Orșova Town the “ghiauri” (Christians) have built a church of their own. It is the first dating of the church that will later be dedicated to St. Nicholas the Poor. Later on it can be found on various military maps from the 18th century. Chronicler Nicolae Stoica mentioned that starting with 1730, in Orşova Veche, was built a monastery of catholic monks. But they migrated from here, for good, around 1737, heading for the interior of the Austrian Empire, immediately after the outbreak of the new Austro-Ottoman war. The first building of the church, built with stone and masonry, was probably built in 1746. It is about the period when, in Banat, the old wooden churches are increasingly replaced by stone churches. The oldest registry of baptisms, weddings and funerals date back in 1792 and they were written in Slavonic until 1814. From then until 1866, they were written in Romanian but with Cyrillic letters. The first bells are attached to the church at the beginning of the 19th century, the first in 1808 and the second in 1811. The new church, one of the largest in the area, appears in Orsova plan in 1816, drafted by Captain Johan von Pavici. Now were also built the dwelling-cells for those who served the church. Also in these rooms functioned the school, and also the teacher used to live here. The church appears described in 1841 by the traveler Hans Christian Andersen, and later, in 1849 and in an engraving illustrating the volume “Le Danube illustré de Bartelett-Sazerac”. By the end of the First World War, in this church the religious service was held in two languages: Romanian and Serbian, because Romanians represented 70% of the believers and Serbs represented 30%. In 1896, the church was completely renovated and improved, but during the First World War the church bells were requisitioned by the Austro-Hungarian authorities. The church functioned without bells until 1920 when the first senator of Orșova constituency in the Great Romanian Parliament, the engineer Alevra, donated the church a 300 kilogram bell. Between 1924-1926, the church was completely restored, and in 1925 the church was painted by a well-known academic painter, the work being completed in September 1926.

Information and Contact:

Saint Nicholas Church Contact: phone: +40252 362723, +40788 258906

E-mail: parohiaorsova@yahoo.com

Website: www.parohiaorsova.ro

The church is administered by the Episcopate of Severin and Strehaia:

phone: +4 0252 333 048, +4 0252 333 039,

e-mail: secretariat@episcopiaseverinului.ro

website: www.episcopiaseverinului.ro

Route close to other Thematic Rutes:

In the area you can also visit:

The Danube Cluster where you can make boat trips on the Danube and where you can visit a number of tourist attractions
The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Orșova
The Iron Gate Region Museum, Orșova subsidiary
Saint Ana Monastery, Orșova

Touristic Offers:

Fishing on the Danube can be practiced in the area
There are boat trips and cruises along the Danube, from Orşova. Water sports can also be practiced here.

Other useful information:

Events in Orșova:

– Mihai Eminescu Festival, January 15;

– The Celebrations Days of Orşova – 14-15 August,

– The Autumn Festival – in October,

– Contests for the Young people: The Danube Pearl Festival, The Iron Gates Trophy, and ROBOTOR International Robot Trophy.

Accommodation:

Apolodor Hotel: phone: +40352 415 925

Țaka Pension: phone: +40252 360 335

Damiro Pension: phone: +40722 207 930

Meridian Hotel: phone: +40252 362 800

„Casa Noastră” Pension: phone: +40745 110 839