The oldest dated roof structure in Transylvania and some 14th-century frescoes at Magyarvista

A push convention was committed to the church of Magyarvista (Viștea, Romania) at the László Teleki Basis, to announce the consequence of modern investigations within the medieval church of the village. The subsequent overview is prepared on the basis of the push launch. The Calvinist church of Magyarvista in Cluj County is one particular of the most well-known medieval monuments in Transylvania and the space of Kalotaszeg. The stone-built, single-nave, square-apsed developing with a Romanesque western doorway was possibly built at the conclude of the 13th century. The 1st documentary mention of the village dates back to 1229, and in 1291 it turned the residence of the Transylvanian bishopric as a royal donation. The church is richly adorned with painted woodwork, the outstanding features of which are the transformed late Gothic priest’s chair, the coffered ceiling previously mentioned the nave supported by a beam and a picket column, the pews, the doorways of the south and west entrances, the altar, the pulpit, and the pulpit crown. An 18th-century belfry rises following to the setting up, the oldest bell in it dating from 1487, from the time of Matthias. Through the past 12 months the exterior masonry of the church has been strengthened, plastered and the roof framework fixed, as has the belfry.

In 2022, with the guidance of the László Teleki Foundation, the uncovery of the mural paintings in the semicircular triumphal arch ongoing, and art historical investigation was also carried out. In this context, it was instructed that the appealing stone frame of the southern entrance and the square sanctuary are not Romanesque but late Gothic, as confirmed by some analogies of the body of the sacristy door, and that the ribbed vault with the 1498 inscription on the keystone of the sanctuary is not the outcome of a later on intervention, but this complete structure was, in actuality, crafted at that time. 

The excavation of the mural unveiled a scene of the Annunciation on the japanese wall earlier mentioned the triumphal arch: on the still left, a fragmentary determine of the Archangel Gabriel and the Lord, and on the suitable, a tiny detail of the standing figure of Mary can be discerned. The Annunciation, arranged on the correct and still left sides of the triumphal arch, has lots of foreign and neighborhood analogies: Palermo, Cappella Palatina, Reichenau-Oberzell, St. George’s Church, Padua, Scrovegni Chapel, Karaszkó, Disznajó, and so forth. The scene belongs to the plaster layer of the early 14th century.

The investigate on the inside of of the triumphal arch was also a shock: the higher fragment of the determine of the Maiestas Domini, set in a mandorla in the centre, was preserved: its continuation was on the vault of the demolished authentic sanctuary, which was significantly smaller sized than the a person we have currently. As a result, the fragment of the mural also proves that the current sanctuary is secondary in contrast to the nave. The determine of Christ was accompanied by the symbols of the 4 evangelists, two of whom, the eagle (John) and probably the angel (Matthew), the latter holding an open up ebook, partially endure. The book’s minuscule inscription is partly legible and incorporates a line from John’s Revelation.  The painting ongoing on the aspect wall with the gallery of the apostles, of which 2-3 figures have been preserved, between them St Andrew can be identified from the X-formed cross. 

Stylistically, the mural paintings of the triumphal arch are in a fashion effectively recognised in Transylvania, generally referred to as Italo-Byzantine with no difference. Analogies look in numerous other places: Csíkszentimre, Felvinc, Boroskrakkó, Szék, Ördöngösfüzes, and so forth. Whilst this magnificent fashion is termed Italo-Byzantine by some students, for the reason that of its widespread use it is extra accurate to talk of a Central European Gothic inclination employing the Italian custom of the Duecento period of time. The precise relationship of the wall paintings of this team is (was) problematic, as no historic info, inscriptions or other data of any variety was readily available for any of the buildings, so the dating of the monuments oscillated in the literature from the 1310s to the 1340s. For this cause, the restorer’s observation that the plaster of the fresco was in make contact with with the ceiling and, by means of it, the roof, was of particular worth. Dendrochronological examination of the picket things of the ceiling can preferably be utilised to date the mural with once-a-year (or even seasonal) precision, which can provide a put up quem (later than …) day for the mural. With the support of the László Teleki Basis, this very important examine was carried out, which revealed that one of the trees of the structure, which can be dated specifically, was minimize in the winter of 1329-30 so that the development of the construction could have taken put as early as 1330, and the wall paintings cannot be previously than that. This day applies to the central beam supporting the picket ceiling as perfectly as the picket pier in the heart of the nave. Some parts of the original roof framework also day from this interval. This information and facts puts a protected courting to the Magyarvista wall paintings, and also to the full circle of monuments

The dendrochronological exploration was carried out in the autumn of 2022 by the Anno Domini Dendrolab team from Csíkszereda, on the initiative of the wall portray restorers and art historians who were being studying in the church. The examine and subsequent laboratory examination proved that the longitudinal central beam and the carved column supporting it in the nave date back to the 14th century, from the years 1329-30. The ring examination of the beams designed into the stone gable walls and of some components of the existing mid-17th century roof composition also indicated that the nave by itself and its earlier roof structure were being built at this time. In this situation, the courting is yr-specific, with oak felled in the wintertime of 1329/1330 staying used for the former roof framework.

The dendrochronological analysis exhibits that the wooden roof of the nave and the former roof construction of the church in Magyarvista, as nicely as the column and the grasp beam supporting them, were constructed in 1330, producing it the oldest surviving roof and slab structure in Transylvania, in accordance to our present information. The 14th-century roof framework can most in all probability be reconstructed on the basis of things reused from the previously structure when the current roof was developed, but further more industry research and measurements are wanted. 

This discovery of individual significance encourages more analysis into wall painting, dendrochronology, archaeology, and artwork background, which we hope will consider place in 2023. With any luck ,, we will still get to see just one working day the fresco decoration of the church of Magyarvista.

Investigation and restoration of Magyarvista were being accomplished by Lóránd Kiss, Zsolt Sólyom, Melinda Filep, Janka Melinda Oláh, Károly Sipos (wall painting restoration, Imago Picta, Târgu Mures), Boglárka Tóth, István Botár, Denis Walgraffe (dendrochronology, Anno Domini Dendrolab, Csíkszereda), Attila Weisz (artwork heritage). Textual content by Loránd Kiss, Boglárka Tóth, Attila Weisz. Photos courtesy of Attila Weisz.