Dormition of the Mother of God Church 

The Orthodox Church of Roșia Montană is located in the immediate vicinity of the mining headquarters and the entrance to the Roman mine gallery that you can still visit today. In terms of plan, structure, and construction materials, the Orthodox Church dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God is part of typical Romanian stone churches dating from the 18th century.. Stylistically, the church presents, in its silhouette and especially in the bell tower silhouette, influences of the simplified Baroque style typical of religious architecture in Transylvania from the late 18th to early 19th century.

The bibliography mentions the year 1781 as the construction date of the church, with Mihail Gritta listed as its founder. He was one of the wealthy mine owners in Roșia Montana. The construction of the Orthodox Church in Roșia in 1781 can be linked to the Tolerance Edict of Joseph II, which granted Orthodox believers religious freedoms as well as to build stone churches.

But who was this Mihail Gritta, and what motivated him to build a church in Roșia Montană? Probably of Italian origin, he came to work in the gold mines of Roșia Montană, where he became a mine owner. Mihail Gritta lived between 1762-1837 and founded churches and schools in the Apuseni Mountains with the gold discovered at Roșia Montană. According to legend he was helped by  a mine spirit who asked about his intentions if he were to hit gold. Gritta expressed a selfless desire to use it for the betterment of his people, emphasizing the importance of education and preserving Romanian language and customs. The spirit  showed him the way to a gold rich vein , which he uncovered via a dramatic explosion. 

It is said that the gold found weighed around 1700 kg. Of the 7 churches built by Mihail Gritta, 5 are identified  for certain. They are located in the Alba County namely in Roșia Montană, Bucium Cerbu and Mogoş. Two are located in Geoagiu Joseni and Geoagiu Gelmar in the neighboring Hunedoara County. There is no precise information about the other 2 churches. It is assumed that they might be among  the churches of Carpiniş, Vârtrop, and Ciuruleasa, or in Ardeu, also in the Hunedoara County.

In the churchyard, southeast of the altar apse, there is a group of stone crosses, with flared ends, belonging to the Gritta family. We will tell you more about Mihail Gritta in front of his house, another destination part of this tour.

You listened to the content dedicated to the Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Roșia Montană

The UNESCO tour of Rosia Montana is a project implemented by the non-governmental organization ‘Rosia Montana in Patrimoniul Mondial’. The audio-tour is co-financed by Romania’s Administration for National Cultural Funds. We based our story telling on local anecdotes and the works listed on the bibliography on our website. We encourage you to follow the trail that we prepared for you via our website. This will ensure that you discover all objects and their stories of Rosia Montana. Have a pleasant journey and ‘drum bun’ as we say here.