The most beautiful religious buildings Cluj-Napoca

The Orthodox Cathedral is located in the centre of Piaţa Avram Iancu. This admirable building, built in ten years, between 1923 and 1933, is a perfect example of the marriage between the Romanian and Byzantine styles, particularly visible in the domes. Forty years after its construction, in 1973, the Diocese of Cluj was established as an archbishopric, with the Orthodox Cathedral remaining its property. In front of the building, the statue of Avram Iancu, one of the leaders of the 1848 revolution, was erected in 1993. Finally, the external façade was renovated between 1996 and 1999.

At the heart of Piaţa Unirii is one of the oldest religious buildings in Cluj and one of the most imposing Gothic buildings in the country. A place at the crossroads of styles, built between 1350 and 1480: its carved wooden pulpit is Baroque, its portal of the sacristy (1528) is Renaissance and its 80 m bell tower, erected between 1834 and 1863, is neo-Gothic. Also note its superb stained-glass windows, its wall paintings and its portal with the Archangel Michael, protector of the place.

This place of worship has had an eventful history over the centuries. Originally, it was the first Catholic church in Cluj. It was destroyed during the first Tatar invasion in 1241, replaced by a Romanesque church and rebuilt in Gothic style in the ^15th century. The monastery was then built by the Dominicans. The site was no longer used for religious purposes from 1556 to 1609, when it fell into the hands of the Calvinists. In 1728, the Franciscans recovered the building and launched a campaign to restore the bell tower, in a Baroque architectural style. The church then suffered the consequences of Romania's political climate: it was confiscated in 1949, when the Communist authorities decided to dissolve the Franciscan order in Romania. For many years, the building housed a music school, until 1990, the year that marked the end of the church's special history. It then became the property of the Roman Catholic Church and the Franciscan order, along with part of the monastery.

The building was restored in the 1970s and 1980s, during two periods of renovation. An attractive inner courtyard separates the church from the monastery. The monastery also houses an important Franciscan library, with a collection of over a thousand volumes. Finally, in the square in front of the building stands an obelisk, said to have been erected after the visit of Austrian Emperor Francis ^I and his wife, Caroline.

The Orthodox church of Feleacu has a singular appearance: it is Gothic in style (especially its vaults and portal) and almost entirely white. Inside it has wall paintings and icons from the 18th century. Built in 1516, it was completely restored in 1925 and has been listed as a historic monument since 2010. The adjoining monastery is also worth a visit, with its impressive architecture and beautiful paintings and gilding inside.

Along the narrow rue Mihail Kogălniceanu you will notice the beautiful stones of the central reformed church, nicknamed the reformed church of the rue des Loups. Built in 1486 by order of Mathias Corvin, then King of Hungary, it houses organs reputed to be among the best in Europe. Its portal is guarded by a replica of one of the oldest Renaissance statues (14th century), Saint George Slaying the Dragon, the work of two local sculptors. The original is now in Prague, opposite the palace Hradčany.