3288, 3313 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - The Bison Reserve Silvuț-Haţeg

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Posted on 10.12.2019, 28.12.2019

Bison is a type of massive herbivorous animal from the ruminant category, belonging to the Bovinae subfamily, which was once widespread as a wild animal in the northern hemisphere. The only living representatives of the bison are its two varieties, the American bison (Bison bison) and the European bison - the wisent (Bison bonasus). European bison were hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, with the last wild animals of the Carpathian wisent subspecies being shot in the Białowieża Forest (on the Belarus-Poland border) in 1921, and the last of Caucasian wisent in the northwestern Caucasus in 1927.

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In Romania, the wisent disappeared in the 18th century; with the last exemplar in the wild being killed in Transylvania in 1790. The species that can be found in Europe at present is a hybrid between the Caucasian Bison and the Lowland Bison. A Caucasian Bison was captured in 1908 and taken to Germany, where he lived 18 years in captivity. There, he bred with females of the Lowland species and produced the species known today as the European Bison. The wisent have been successfully reintroduced in the wild since 1951, and now is found in Poland, Belarus, Romania and Moldova, herds also existing in Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

3293 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - Ostrov Orthodox Church

The Whitsuntide Church from Ostrov is one of the oldest preserved wall monuments from Transylvania. The Church was built in the 14th century and is considered one of the most important medieval churches from Romania and the inside painting of byzantine style reveals many biblical scenes of great historic value. Also it preserves the most representative and best preserved medieval bell tower in the Hațeg Land: with gothic windows and massive stone corners, carved manually.

0601, 0602, 1900, 3020, 3277 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - Corvin Castle

0601 Hunedoara - Corvin Castle (1)

Posted on 16.04.2013, 17.09.2015, 17.04.2017, 01.12.2019
Located in Hunedoara, on a rock at the foot of which flow Zlaşti creek, a tributary of the Cerna River, Corvin Castle, known also as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle, is one of the most important monuments of Gothic inspiration from Romania. It was originally given, in 1409, by Sigismund of Luxemburg, king of Hungary, to Vlach (Romanian) knyaz Voyk (Voicu), for his distinction in the wars against the Ottomans. On this occasion Voyk was ennobled and took the name Hunyadi (de Hunedoara) after the property name, as was the custom.

0602 Hunedoara - Corvin Castle (2)

His son, John Hunyadi (Iancu de Hunedoara), Ban of Severin (1438-1441), then Voivode of Transylvania (1441-1446), rebuilt the castle from the foundation starting with 1446, the year in which was elected as Regent-Governor of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Diet, a position which he will hold until 1453.
The castle was built mainly in Gothic style, but with Renaissance architectural elements. The walls were flanked by rectangular or circular towers, three of them (the Capistrano Tower, the Deserted Tower and the Drummers' Tower) being used as prisons, and one (the Mace Tower) was solely built for defence purposes.

1900 Hunedoara - Corvin Castle (3)

The rectangular shaped towers had large openings to accommodate larger weapons. The castle has three large areas, decorated with marble: the Knight's Hall (used for feasts), the Diet Hall (used for ceremonies) and the circular stairway. In 1456, John Hunyadi died and work on the castle has stagnated. Ladislaus Hunyadi, the elder son of John, has owned the castle just one year, because in 1457 he fall prey to intrigues. His younger brother, Matthias Corvinus, became King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, then also King of Bohemia and Duke of Austria, and new commissions were being undergone to construct the Matia Wing of the castle.

3020 Hunedoara - Corvin Castle (4)

In 1480, the work was stopped and it was recognised as being one of the biggest and most impressive buildings in Western Europe. In 1482 Matthias donated the domain and the castle to his illegitimate son, John Corvinus (Ioan Corvin). After his death and the death of his children the Hunyadi family died out on the paternal side. In the following two centuries the castle passed through several hands, until 1724 when became the property of the Austrian State, then in 1867 to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and in 1918 to the Kingdom of Romania.

3277 Hunedoara - Corvin Castle, inside

In the 17th century new additions have been made to the castle, for aesthetic and military purposes, two new towers being constructed: the White Tower and the Artillery Tower. The current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken after a disastrous fire from 1854 and many decades of total neglect.

2056, 2519, 3267 ROMANIA (Hunedoara / Alba) - Sarmizegetusa Regia - part of Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains (UNESCO WHS)

2056 Sarmizegetusa Regia (1)

Posted on 21.11.2015, 03.05.2016, 26.11.2019
Emperor Trajan announced 123 days of celebrations throughout the Roman Empire, after the defeat of the Dacians and the death of King Decebalus in 106 A.D. Very normal, since a dangerous enemy was eliminated, fabulous riches entered in the treasury, and 100,000 male slaves were sent to Rome. Dacia then contributed 700 million Denarii per annum (about 2.5 billion USD in nowadays) to the Roman economy, providing finance for future campaigns and assisting with the rapid expansion of Roman towns throughout Europe.

2519 Sarmizegetusa Regia (2)

Even if the Romans destroyed the defensive system of the Dacian Kingdom, its extensive and well-preserved remains, standing in spectacular natural surroundings, give even today a dramatic picture of a vigorous and innovative civilization. Built in the 1st centuries B.C. and A.D., these fortresses show an unusual fusion of military and religious architectural techniques and concepts from the classical world and the late European Iron Age.

3267 Sarmizegetusa Regia (3)

Six of these fortresses (Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costeşti-Cetăţuie, Costeşti-Blidaru, Piatra Roşie, Bănița and Căpâlna), built in murus dacicus style in the Orăştie Mountains, were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Murus Dacicus (Latin for Dacian Wall) is a mix between Dacian construction methods and methods imported from Greek and Roman architecture and masonry, with some peculiarities that make it unique.

2749 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - Peasants from Orăştie in the fields, in 1900

Located near the place where Orăştie River discharges into the Mureş, not far from the heart of the Dacian Kingdom, from which survived until today the ruins of Dacian fortresses, Orăştie was documented for the first time in 1224, but there is archaeological evidence proving that the area was inhabited since Neolithic. The traditional costume in this area congealed as a costume of hilly area, suffering significant changes over time, being influenced by the mountain costume, which presents several pastoral elements.

2521 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - Densuş Church (UNESCO WHS - Tentative List)

Located in Haţeg Country, at few kilometers far from Ulpia Traiana Sarmisegetusa, the capital of Roman Dacia, the Densuş Church (also known as St Nicholas' Church), is the oldest church in Romania in which services are still officiated. Some historians say that it was built on the ruins of a pre-Christian edifice in Dacia, others believe that it was built on the foundation of a temple dedicated to god Mars, many say that the church was initially a mausoleum dedicated to general Longinus Maximus that was killed by the Dacians.

1698 ROMANIA (Hunedoara) - Magna Curia in Deva

Magna Curia (Latin for The Great Court) or The Bethlen Castle is a palace located in Deva (the capital of Hunedoara County), toward the southeast, near the city park. In 1582, the captain Ferenc Geszty, in charge with the Deva Castle's garrison, erected a house at the foot of the citadel hill. In the following decades, the house became the residence of  Sigismund Báthory, general Giorgio Basta, Stephen Bocskay, and Gabriel Báthory. The current look of the building is due to Gabriel Bethlen, commander of the princely army, who received the domain from Gabriel Báthory in 1608, as a reward for services made during his election.