Category: Wallachian

Tour: the Ottoman Bucharest & the Wallachian style

Tour: the Ottoman Bucharest & the Wallachian style

Valentin Mandache

I would like to invite you to a walking tour exploring the Wallachian architectural style, unique to Romania and also known as the Brâncovenesc or Brâncovan style. This enthralling artistic current fused the Byzantine traditions of the Principality of Wallachia (today southern Romania) with the artistic vocabulary of the Ottoman world, while also assimilating Renaissance and Baroque forms transmitted through the cosmopolitan culture of the Ottoman court. It stands as one of the most remarkable architectural syntheses of Southeast Europe, expressing Wallachia’s position at the crossroads of the Byzantine, Islamic and Western European civilisations. Indeed, it represents the last great Christian–Islamic synthesis in European architecture, and perhaps also the least studied and least understood, following earlier artistic encounters in Moorish and Reconquista Spain and Portugal, Arab-Norman Sicily, the Arab and Persian Caucasus, and the Ottoman world.

The style emerged in the Principality of Wallachia during the second half of the seventeenth century, reached its artistic zenith under Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), and continued to flourish throughout

Read more →

The early Wallachian style of Balteni church (1626)

Valentin Mandache

This is a brief examination of the emergence of the Wallachian architectural style in the example of Balteni church, 20km north of Bucharest. The nave dates from the early 17th c, and is of a transitional architecture between the old Bulgarian style (the north Balkans Byzantine style) and the indigenous Wallachian one, which emerges properly in the mid-17th c. Here we can also see what I consider elements of Moldavian style (a Byzantine architecture imbued by the Gothic) influence. All of these give tantalising clues about the roots of the architecture native to the principality of Wallachia, the Wallachian style, aka Brancovenesc.

***********************************************

I endeavour through this series of periodic articles to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring or selling a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in sourcing and transacting the property, specialist research, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Otesani church – a presentation of the late Wallachian style

Valentin Mandache

The Otesani church in Valcea county, Oltenia province, has been built in 1740, extended and repainted in the mid-19th c, in what I would term the late Wallachian style. It is one of the best preserved such examples, and a visual delight and exuberance of colours in the peculiar natural environment of the southern Romanian countryside.

***********************************************

My aim, through this series of blog articles, is to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania and Southeast Europe, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of world’s architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you have a historic house project in Romania or other country in Southeast Europe, I would be delighted to advise you in aspects pertaining to its architectural history and ways to preserve as much as possible from its period fabric and aesthetics in the course of restoration or renovation works, or to counsel you with specialist consultancy work related to that project. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this website.

Ottoman world influences on the Wallachian style

Valentin Mandache

A brief review of the artistic and architectural influences from throughout the Ottoman Empire into the making of the Wallachian style, the highly original Christian architecture with Islamic overtones of the Principality of Wallachia, the nowadays southern Romania, between the late 17th c and the early 19th c.

***********************************************

My aim, through this series of blog articles, is to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania and Southeast Europe, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of world’s architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you have a historic house project in Romania or other country in Southeast Europe, I would be delighted to advise you in aspects pertaining to its architectural history and ways to preserve as much as possible from its period fabric and aesthetics in the course of restoration or renovation works, or to counsel you with specialist consultancy work related to that project. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this website.

Considerations on the Wallachian architectural style (aka Brancovan)

Valentin Mandache

The Wallachian style, is a highly original architecture and decorative arts design, which developed within the confines of the Principality of Wallachia, a Christian protectorate of the Ottoman Empire, during the period of stability and prosperity of this great state between the late 17th c and throughout the 18th c. It is a synthesis between local Byzantine traditions, together with Islamic ones, at which is added European Baroque and Renaissance elements. The style is usually named Brancovan or Brancovenesc, which in my opinion is incorrect, not properly and precisely reflecting its geographical and civilisational locus in Wallachia. This video details for you this important chapter of the arts and architecture of the early modern southeast Europe, which has been crucial for the development of the the later Neo-Romanian style, the national style of Romania.

***********************************************

My aim, through this series of blog articles, is to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania and Southeast Europe, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of world’s architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you have a historic house project in Romania or other country in Southeast Europe, I would be delighted to advise you in aspects pertaining to its architectural history and ways to preserve as much as possible from its period fabric and aesthetics in the course of restoration or renovation works, or to counsel you with specialist consultancy work related to that project. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this website.

Saving Batistei church fresco through social media

Valentin Mandache

How I saved a fragment of the 18th century Wallachian style wall painting at Batistei Church in Bucharest. In January 2017 during an architectural tour, which I conducted in the area, I photographed the damage done to the painting due to boiler pipes installed in the church. The face of a saint was pierced in order to allow the conduct of the boiler pipe. This was my first viral photograph, reaching on Facebook over 900,000 persons, and generating interest in the media. As a result of this exposure, the church priests took steps to remove the pipes and somehow restore the face of the saint in the fresco, which was pierced to make room for the pipe. I documented that repair by taking another photograph that I took when I visited again the church, with an architectural tour in October 2017. Thus through the power of social media, I managed to save an ancient, for Bucharest, fresco!

***********************************************

My aim, through this series of blog articles, is to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania and Southeast Europe, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of world architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you have a historic house project in Romania or other country in Southeast Europe, I would be delighted to advise you in aspects pertaining to its architectural history and ways to preserve as much as possible from its period fabric and aesthetics in the course of restoration or renovation works, or to counsel you with specialist consultancy work related to that project. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this website.

Rabid People’s Church – an architectural history

Valentin Mandache

The Rabid People’s Church (“Schitul Turbati” in Romanian) in Silistea Snagovului, 30 miles north of Bucharest, is a little known architectural gem, in which the evolution of architecture in the Principality of Wallachia, in nowadays southern Romania, can be traced for the last eight centuries, when the church was probably first built during the Latin Empire of Constantinople in the aftermath of the 4th Crusade. In this presentation I expound how the church came to encompass local traditions forged in wooden church architecture, together with Byzantine, Bulgarian – Serbian, Western (Hungarian via Transylvania) and Ottoman traditions. One can see there the green shoots of the Wallachian, aka Brancovan, style, which emerged in the 16th c, and is a principal fountain of inspiration for the Neo-Romanian, the national style of modern Romania.

***********************************************

I endeavour through this series of periodic articles to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring or selling a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advise you in sourcing and transacting the property, specialist research, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Convergences between the 17th c architectures of Spain and the Balkans

Valentin Mandache

There is amazement among participants at my architectural tours who come from Spain or Portugal of how familiar the architecture of 17th and 18th centuries of Bucharest, the Brancovan or Wallachian style, look to them, similar with designs from the same period in their countries. This video puts forward the most likely explanation for this intersting convergence of architectural forms between the Southwestern and Southwestern corners of Europe.

***********************************************

I endeavour through this series of periodic articles to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring or selling a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advise you in sourcing and transacting the property, specialist research, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

My first viral photo – documents architectural vandalism

Valentin Mandache

***********************************************

I endeavour through this series of periodic articles to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural history and heritage.

***********************************************

If you plan acquiring or selling a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advise you in sourcing and transacting the property, specialist research, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.

Brancovan vs. Neoromanian

Valentin Mandache

There is a great confusion between two of the main architectural styles peculiar to the territory of Romania, Brancovan and Neoromanian. This video brings the necessary basic tools to equip you into making an informed distinction between the two, using historic and architectural aesthetics elements characterising these architecture designs and artistic currents imprinting the identity of the built landscape of this country in Southeastern Europe.