Biserica Densuș

The church of Densuș in Hunedoara County is regarded as one of the oldest stone churches in Romania still in use, and its unusual appearance has fascinated visitors for centuries. Probably built in the thirteenth century on the site of older structures, it was raised largely from Roman stones brought from the nearby fortress of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. In its walls one can recognise slabs with Latin inscriptions, shaped blocks, and reused column fragments, a true collage of ancient material.

The very narrow interior shelters fresco fragments from the fifteenth century, painted by local masters. The massive silhouette, with a central tower resting on heavy pillars and a stone roof, gives it an archaic, almost unreal character. Visitors should look closely at the walls to find the Roman traces and respect the cramped space of a church that is still in liturgical use.