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Romanian Monuments
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Bilteni Monument
Acest monument aflat in satul Vladuleni, comuna Bilteni, judetul Gorj este ridicat in cinstea eroilor armatei romane din WWI – 1916 si are o poveste interesanta : in acel an, in valea de langa monumental Sf. Vineri, o unitate militara romana era plasata in defensive in fata inamicului german. Dar, prin tradare, trupele germane au surprins unitatea militara romana si au distrus-o.
This monument, located in the village of Vladuleni, main village Bilteni, Gorj county, is erected to honour the heroes of the Romanian army from WWI – 1916 and has an interesting story. In that year, in the valley near the Saint Friday monument, a group of Romanian soldiers were fighting against the German enemy. But, because of a traitor, the Germans took the Romanians by surprise and killed them all.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In satul principal Bilteni, judetul Gorj, se afla un alt monument istoric – Scoala principala din localitate, construita tot de familia Skileriu. In interiorul scolii se afla superbe picture fresce din acea perioada.
In the main village of Bilteni, Gorj county, there is another historical monument – The main school of the village, built by the Skileriu family. Inside the school there are beautiful frescoes from that time.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Scoala Skileriu a fost data in folosiinta in anul 1911, de catre familia Skileriu, in timpul domniei regelui Carol I si a reginei Elisabeta.
The Skileriu School was opened in 1911, by the Skileriu family, during the years of King Carol I and Queen Elisabeta.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Echipa Alexis Project a constatat de-a lungul celor 7 ani de activitate ca in orice localitate din Oltenia si din Romania te-ai duce si ai avea rabdarea sa cercetezi elementele de cultura, civilizatie si istorie din zona, poti afla cu usurinta fapte uimitoare despre trecutul acestui minunat popor – poporul roman. Astfel, in localitatea Bilteni, judetul Gorj, am cunoscut pe profesorul pensionar Lumezeanu, care a relatat Alinei povestea celor 1001 de nopti ale localitatii. Profesorul a scris in 1962 o monografie a scolii Skileriu si a fost directorul acestei scoli – deci echipa Alexis se va reintoarce la Bilteni pentru a completa aceasta fascinanta poveste.
The Alexis Project Team has discovered during 7 years of activity that in any locality from Oltenia or from elsewhere in Romania, if you were to go and have a little patience to study the elements of culture, civilization and history from the area, you can easily find out amazing facts from the past of this wonderful people – the Romanian people.
So, in the village of Bilteni, Gorj county, we met the retired teacher Lumezeanu, who told Alina the complete story of the village. The teacher wrote in 1962 the history of the Skileriu School and was the principal of this school – so the Alexis Project Team will return to Bilteni to complete this fascinating story.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Dinka Skileru Monument
In satul Vladuleni (coumuna Bilteni), judetul Gorj, la aproximativ 40 de km de Filiasi, spre Targu Jiu se afla un monument istoric foarte interesant facut din piatra in secolul 19, care arata un inger gandindu-se. Acest monument este foarte interesant deoarece un mic text pus pe una dintre fetele sale contine un bluestem, lucru foarte rar in Oltenia, chiar si in tara.
In the small village of Vladuleni (main village Bilteni), Gorj county, placed about 40 km from Filiasi towards Targu Jiu city, there is a very interesting historical monument made out of stone from the 19th century, which shows a small angel thinking. This monument is very interesting because of a curse put on one side of it, something which is very rare in Oltenia, even in our country.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Iata, un om foarte important al judetului Gorj, traind in secolul 19, numit Dinka Skileriu (vezi imaginea), un proprietar foarte bogat al acestei zone, deasemenea un fost soldat in armata lui Tudor Vladimirescu (un rebel care a luptat impotriva ocupatiei armatei turcesti in Romania in 1821) a fost atacat in valea din apropiere the banditi care l-au ranit foarte grav.
A very important man from Gorj county, living in 19th century, named Dinka Skileriu (at left), a very rich land owner of those times, also an ex-soldier in the army of Tudor Vladimirescu (a rebel who fought against the Turkish occupation in Romania in 1821) was attacked in the valley nearby by bandits who wounded him very badly.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In memoria lui Dinka Skileriu a fost construit acest monument foarte rar denumit de catre oamenii din sat Sfanta Vineri, dupa ziua in care a avut loc atacul. Pe monument exista un text cu o poveste ciudata si mai ales un blestem : "Rog prietenii calatori sa ziceti afurisiti sa fie autorii faptului." Trebuie sa repet ca a pune un blestem pe un monument este ceva foarte rar in tara mea.
In memory of this fact, Dinka Skileru has built this very rare monument named by the people from the village Sfanta Vineri (Saint Friday), after the day of the attack. On the monument, there is a text around it with this strange story and especially a curse, viz: "Please, dear passer-by, curse those who have done this to me". It must be repeated that putting a curse on a monument is a very rare thing in Romania.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Adrian si Alina au gasit monumental dupa indicatiile specialistilor de la Muzeul Olteniei Dorel Bondoc si Florin Ridiche, care studiaza zona. Echipa Alexis Project a facut o harta GPS a monumentului, cu altitudinea = 147 m, N: 44.87790° E : 23.25720° De asemenea am facut a multime de fotografii si documentary asupra istoriei monumentului.
Adrian and Alina found the monument after the indications of the specialists at the Oltenia Museum Dorel Bondoc and Florin Ridiche, who are searching the area. Alexis Project Team made a GPS map of the monument, at altitude 147m 44.87790°N 23.25720°E. They also took a lot of pictures and documented the history of the monument.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In mijlocul principalului sat al comunei Bilteni, judetul Gorj, se afla un monument istoric, vechea casa a lui Dinka Skileriu – aici o vedere generala.
In the middle of the main village of Bilteni, Gorj county there is an historical monument, as Dinka Skileriu old house – a general view of it here.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In aceasta casa inca traiesc stra-stra nepoata lui Dinka Skileriu, cu sotul ei. Casa este foarte veche sin u se afla intr-o conditie buna. Acest acoperis de lemn al casei pare sa fie facut cu capete de cai, asa cum am vazut deja de multe ori in Oltenia.
In this house are still living the great-grand daughter of Dinka Skileriu, with her husband. The house is very old and not in good condition. The wooden beams of the roof seem to be decorated with abstract horse head symbols, as we have already often seen in Oltenia.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
Delimitand acoperisul de lemn de la primul etaj al vechii case, se afla parti de vitraliu vechi.
Bordering the wooden eaves of the first floor of the old house, there are parts of ancient stained-glass window.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In jurul intrarii principale in casa se afla coloane frumoase, care sprijina balconul de la primul etaj.
Around the main entrance in the house there are beautiful columns, supporting the balcony of the first floor.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
In casa am gasit tablouri frumoase ale proprietarilor ca Dinka Skileriu (mai sus) si sotia sa, aici. Acest monument trebuie sa fie reparat si pus in valoarea pentru specialisti si turisti cat mai curand posibil.
Inside the house we found beautiful portraits of the owners, Dinka Skileriu (above) and his wife, here. This monument needs to be repaired and renovated for specialists and tourists as soon as possible.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th June 2008
The Opran Cross
The Opran Cross was discovered by an old teacher in the middle of a field, about 20 Km to the east of Filiaşi, towards Craiova, near a very old springwater source, a few metres from the European road between Craiova and Filiaşi. The cross was broken by treasure hunters (there was a big dig) and would have been completely destroyed by the rebuilding of the European road. The cross was taken in two pieces to the Bilta lapidarium where it is now in safekeeping.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
These are the GPS coordinates of the point where the Opran Cross was found.
Data: Adrian Gheorghe 5th February 2008
The cross is very big (about 2 m x 0.5 m x 0.4 m) and very heavy (about 300 kg). On the back is put the year 15(3?)33. On the front is written in an old script named "chirilica" the text: "Isus Hristos Nike" and:
"This Holy Cross is for Gheorghe Opran who was killed at Sala(truc)" which means that it is a stone cross for a landowner who was killed in 1533 at the village Sala(truc) by enemies, possibly Turkish soldiers with whom Romanians were at war in those ancient times.
Photos: Adrian Gheorghe
Readers may be interested to see the full set of Cyrillic or Chirilica symbols originally used in writing the Romanian language. The image here comes from Wikipedia.
This name of Salatruc was a real problem for the specialists, who said that there was no village in Romania called Salatruc, and perhaps the name came from Bulgaria, where the name Sala means village. They could offer no explanation for the rest of the name, 'truc'. However, there is a very small and isolated village on a very poor road, or track, about 8 km from Strehaia.
In fact, further research shows that there are many Salatruc names on the map: the one near Strehaia, another in the Olt Valley, on the Arutela Roman Castrum road, and another just to the south of the Danube River, in Bulgaria.
Crucea de piatra a lui Gheorghe Opran a fost salvata si protejata de echipa Alexis project in 2004, gata sa fie pierduta pentru totdeauna prin constructia drumului principal dintre Filiaşi si Craiova. Importantul monument a fost protejat timp de 4 ani chiar in lapidarium-ul din Bilta.
Chiar in aceste zile, cu ajutorul Politiei pentru Protectia Monumentelor, impreuna cu Muzeul Olteniei si Directia pentru Cultura, Culte si Protectia Patrimoniului National-judetul Dolj, am gasit locul potrivit pentru monument: comuna Almaj-Sitoaia-judetul Dolj, vechiul loc unde a fost amplasata pentru prima data aceasta cruce.Astazi, unul dintre conducatorii din comuna Almaj, Talaban Aurica, a venit in Bilta sa primeasca monumentul din partea echipei Alexis project, din Lapidarium.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 28th May 2008
The Gheorghe Opran stone cross was saved by the Alexis Project team in 2004, when it was about to be lost for ever by the building of the main road from Filiaşi to Craiova. This important monument wa protected for four years in Bilta's Lapidarium.
Recently, with the help of the Police for the Protection of Monuments, together with the Oltenia Museum and the Agency for Culture, Cults and the Protection of the National Patrimony, Dolj County, the right place has been found for it: the village Almaj-Sitoaia in Dolj County, the area where the monument was first erected. Today, one of the leaders of Almaj village, Talaban Aurica, came to Bilta to receive the monument from the Alexis Project team, from the Lapidarium.
Crucea de piatra este formata din doua piese si este foarte grea, astfel incit trebuie sa fie mai multi oameni pentru a o muta din Lapidarium afara, la mijlocul de transport.
The Stone Cross is in two pieces and is very heavy, so there needed to be many people around it to move it safely from the Lapidarium to the car outside.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 28th May 2008
Piesa mica este mai usor de transportat, dar cu foarte multa grija, catre masina.
The smaller piece is easier to lift and to be taken, very carefully, to the car.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 28th May 2008
Sunt documente de semnat in acest moment, cind monumentul trece din protectia Alexis project in proprietatea comunei Almaj, pentru a fi pusa in valoare, in viitorul apropiat.
There are papers to be signed at this time, when the monument is passing from the protection of the Alexis Project to the ownership of the Almaj village, to be preserved carefully and appropriately as soon as possible.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 28th May 2008
Dupa 200 de ani de cind a fost facuta si dupa 4 ani de cind a fost salvata, crucea de piatra a lui Gheorghe Opran pleaca spre locul sau final, spre a deveni un monument al Olteniei-o dovada a culturii si istoriei poporului roman.
200 years after it was carved, and four years after it was saved from destruction, the stone cross of Gheorghe Opran is going to its final resting place, to become a real monument of the Oltenia area, a symbol and proof of the history and culture of the Romanian people.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 28th May 2008
Astazi, echipa ALEXIS PROJECT a fost in comuna ALMAJ, judetul DOLJ, sa vada cel mai bun amplasament pentru crucea OPRAN, salvat de ALEXIS cu patru ani in urma…
Se pare ca amplasamentul cel mai bun pentru monument este chiar in centrul satului,intre biserica si scoala,linga un alt monument in memoriam WW I.
Noile puncte GPS pentru monument sunt: 44.44668°N 23.70557°E.
Cit de curind posibil, vom coopera cu Muzeul Olteniei si alte institutii pentru a pune monumentul in cea mai buna pozitie spre a afi vizitat, asemenea altor importante obiective din ALMAJ, ca o cladire de tip CULA (linga scoala) si un sit arheologic de aici…
The Alexis Project Team was in Almaj village, Dolj county, to look for the best place for the Opran Cross monument, saved from destruction by the Alexis Project Team four years ago.
The best place for the stone monument seems to be in the middle of the village, between the church and the school, near a monument in memoriam of WWI.
The GPS values for this monument are 44.44668°N 23.70557°E.
As soon as possible, we will cooperate with Oltenia Museum and other interested parties to put the monument in the best position to be seen by visitors. Other important matters to be considered are a building called Cula, near the school, and a local historical site.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 7th June 2008
Slatioara Cross
La Slatioara, judetul Vilcea, echipa Alexis project a gasit o cruce de piatra, la o intersectie de drumuri (ca de obicei), in apropierea unei surse de apa-fintina (tot ca de obicei), nemarcata si neprotejata si pusa in pericol de sapaturi in zona. Pare a fi din secolul XVIII, cu o scriere veche (chirilica?).
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th June 2008
At Slatioara, Vilcea county, Alexis project team found a stone cross, at a cross roads (as usual), near a water source (as usual, too), unmarked and unprotected and put in danger by some digging around it. It seems to be from the 17th century, written in an old Romanian script ('chirilica'?).
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th June 2008
Citeva detalii de pe crucea de piatra, o parte a textului este distrusa, dar parea a fi o cruce memoriala, ca si crucea lui Opran. Echipa Alexis trebuie sa colaboreze cu Muzeul Vilcea, pentru a proteja monumental, si chiar va face a acest lucru…
A few details from the face of the stone-cross, a part of the text is broken, but it seems to be a memorial cross, like Opran's cross. The Alexis team must cooperate very soon with Valcea Museum, to protect this monument, and we shall do it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th June 2008
Balota Monuments
Troiţă protected by a well made weather proof construction and a steel fence, and bearing the date 1893.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th May 2008
An inscribed concrete dam holding back water from a spring, dated 1927.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th May 2008
Well surrounded by a well made concrete or stone cylinder.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th May 2008
Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei Monument
This monument is in the city of Craiova, and lies near an important church.
It is understood that the priest of this church was disturbed by the presence of teenagers in the evening on the steps of this monument. The priest wanted to make them leave, so he spilt on the steps of the monument a large amount of petrol.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The Alexis Project Team got in touch with many administrative institutions, asking them to protect the monument from this damage. As can be seen from the photos, the priest has superficially cleaned the steps of the monument, but the petrol remains impregnated in the stone, seriously affecting the image and the structure of the monument for a long time.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The monument is dedicated to Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei who was the ruler of Valachia (Tara Romaneasca as we call it in our language or The Romanian Country, if you translate the name) between 1849 and 1856. He was born at Craiova in 1795 and died in 1869. He is known for the interest he put into the development of the country, as he tried to introduce many important changes for the benefit of the people of those times. He built several important buildings, such as schools, hospitals and churches, even the one that can be seen in the photos, near his monument.
That church was first built in 1768 and Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei was the one who helped in reconstructing it, from ground level, after serious damage. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The Bradesti Cross
The Bradesti cross shown here is a monument put in the middle of Bradesti village, 11 km to the east of Filiaşi, in a field. It commemorates "Colonel Petre SC Mateescu" and has an inscription: "1888-1920" and it is made of stone.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The Three Counties monument
The Three Counties of King Karol monument is placed on the left bank of the Jiu river, between a railway bridge and a car bridge over the river, about 6 km to the west of Filiaşi.
The monument is put on the place where there was a great meeting between King Karol I of Romania and the men from three counties (Dolj, Gorj and Mehedinti), just at the point where the three borders intersect. The meeting was in 1896, and the monument has three parts:
A big cross of stone, whose arms show the three coats of arms of those three counties. In the middle was the king's portrait, which has disappeared.
A well in close proximity to the cross.
An obelisk of stone on which were put the names of those three counties, Gorj, Dolj and Mehedinti, as well as an inscription on the fourth side of the obelisk.
It is placed on the left bank (eastern side) of the Jiu, between two bridges, the train bridge in the background of the photo of the cross, and another bridge downstream for cars.
Filiaşi GPS readings.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 16th February 2008
King Karol I of Romania (1839-1914)
Born Karl Eitel Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen,
son of Karl Anton Joachim Zephyrin Friedrich Meinrad,
Fürst von Hohenzollern and Princess Josephine of Baden.
This photo is taken at about the same time as the monument was put up.
This is the big cross of stone, whose arms show the three coats of arms of those three counties. In the middle was the king's portrait, which has disappeared. A ghostly impression of the king's head may still be seen carved in the stone.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
These are more recent photographs of the Three Counties Monument.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
Close ups of the Three Counties Monument.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
This is the damaged well, also made of stone, from the three counties monument.
It is unfortunate that some people have removed anything of value, such as pieces of metal forming part of the monuments, in order to sell them.
An iron hoop can be seen in this photo, put there to strengthen the stone.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
Since the photo above was taken, further damage has been done to the well in order to remove iron to sell it for scrap.
Here is the well in relation to the cross.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
Here can be seen the breaking of the top of the well in order to remove the iron hoop which was put there to strengthen the stone.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
This shows clearly the inside of the well and the level to which water often rises.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The well in 2007.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
An obelisk of stone with four faces, on which were put the names of those three counties, Gorj, Dolj and Mehedinti
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
The obelisk in 2007.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
The inscriptions on the four faces of the obelisk.
Much of the inscription has been erased, presumably during the communist regime. The last legible word is something finishing in "e" and then the year 1872 which has something to do with the previous sentence. After the comma it reads: "and to the wishes made for the prosperity of these bordering counties".
Because Oltenia Museum has the ability to verify the scientific importance of this information and because the specialists of Oltenia Museum have made contributions to this site, the copyrights to it are part of Oltenia Museum property.
If you have any photographs or information which would be useful for this site please contact Don Hitchcock
This page last modified Sunday, 13th July, 2008 03:49pm
