Romanian spirituality is greatly influenced by its strong connections with the Eastern Christian world. Romanians have thus obtained a unique sense of identity and two clichés can simply express this: An island of Latinity in a Slavic sea and The only Orthodox Christian Latin people. There are only a few Romanian Catholics (of both the Roman and Greek rites) and a small number of Protestants, the vast majority of Romanians being Romanian Orthodox (over 90%). Despite the diminishing importance of the church in recent generations, it remains the most trusted institution in Romania. Church attendance is high in rural communities and among the elders in the cities. Also, despite accusations of collaborationism with the communist regime, which continue to plague the Romanian Church, outstanding personalities have kept their verticality and became widely respected like the priest Dumitru St?niloae who is considered one of the greatest world theologians in the recent period.
Romanian Orthodox monasteries and churches exist throughout Romania but, traditionally, few are constructed on a monumental scale. A great number of wooden churches are still intact in the Carpathian Mountains villages, but by far the most impressive are the Wooden Churches of Maramure? which push wood building technique to its limits. Byzantine influences can be found in most Romanian church buildings but domestic styles have evolved in different periods of time and in different regions. In Northern Moldavia a particular style was used in the construction of the monasteries, of which the most important are the painted monasteries of Bucovina – UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as those of Moldovi?a, Putna, Sucevi?a, and Vorone?. In Wallachia Curtea de Arge? Cathedral is built in a Byzantine style with Moorish influences, and a great number of churches show Greek influences, especially those built in the 18th century, such as Stavropoleos Church in central Bucharest. Romania also evolved the distincive Brâncovenesc style: the monasteries of Snagov and of Sâmb?ta de Sus in Transylvania are classical examples.
Related Listing
-
Traditional cuisine
A great number of proverbs and sayings have developed around the activity of eating. From the ...
-
Romanian mythology
Romanians have had, from time immemorial, a myriad of customs, tales and poems about love, faith, ...
-
Folklore
The most striking thing about Romanian culture is the strong folk traditions which have survived to ...
Recent Reviews