Churches in Ocnele Mari

There are in Ocnele Mari 13 churches at a population of 2,000 inhabitants.

BUDA, hamlet, Ocnele Mari commune, Ocolu region. The inhabitants' main occupation is pottery. There is an old church which served for a long time as hermitage. There has been here another older church, it is not known by whom it was built and why.

BUDA, former heritage, today chrism possessing church, in the hamlet bearing the same name, Ocnele Mari, Ocolu region. The inscription above the new church says: "In honour and praise of the Holy Trinity and of Nicholas, the miracle performer, this holy church has been built from the Greek spring from the Ocna frontier, bearing the expense and hard work of God's servant… of Pope … (erased), Deodosie … ( erased) and monarch Branescu of Olanesti have been hermitage."

FACAI, hamlet, belongs to the commune, region Ocolu. It lies south of the commune's residence. There is a church built in 1762 by Anthony Monahu and the birth document says: "This holy and godly church has been built up by God's servant Antonie Monahu at his own expense; he left it to be painted by Barbu Catana and as his son raised, they covered it with paint, as it shows, holy church and they painted it during the time of the all-enlightened ruler Constantin Nicolae Ion in 7270 or 1762.".

LICURA, a hill north of Ocnele Mari, Ocolu region, where a war took place known as "Carjelia" against the Turkish who set the church from Capatana on fire, on the Licura hill in 1802.

LICUREI, hill peak in Ocnele Mari, on which the old, abandoned salt mines lie dating back to Hadrian's time. These salt mines have been wanted also by other emperors to extract the salt needed to feed the inhabitants of Lower Moesia and Eastern Dacia. Their origin lies further than Hadrian's time. ( the data has been given by Mr.Ganea, the principal of the school in Ocnele Mari ).

The Princely Church built by the great nobleman Jupan Statie, " in honour and praise of the great martyr George, the bearer of victory, and the hard work has been done at the expense of the treasury and they gave to themselves alms with the annual quantity of salt, as the muniments of the rulers of the country present and with the houses where the caterer lives, with what it is taken and with annual salt quantity to lay by this holy house, but existing another princely church which fell apart, and the allhappy Constantin Basarab has named it princely church too, as stated by the documents of His Majesty and of other rulers". "It could not be painted and remained this way, but now as the caterer Jupan Duca existed, from Sinop and Jupan Statie, from Cerna-Voda, God had guided them and they had spent the money to paint the church and the altar. The first brick was laid in the year 7185 (1677) and it was painted in year 7226 ( 1718 ). From the inscription on a stone laid here at the princely fountain, which was taken last year by Gr.G.Tocilescu and deposited in the museum collection, one can notice that the princely church Sf.Gheorghe (Saint George) that fell in, had been built in the 14th century by Alexandru Basarab and since then it is called Princely Church. The holy table from the old church has extended round the wall and on It the water is being blessed at ceremonies.

The church in the Traistarilor outskirts renewed in 1865 by Father Silion's perseverance, father Superio at Oto-Titireciu , and it had been finished by Panait Rusu in 1862.

The Holy Virgin church built by the county's worthy Constantin Fiotu and his wife Casandra, in the time of Ion Constantin Nicolae in 1746.

The church of Brosteni, under the patronage of Saint John Sletaos, has been built in the year 1793 by Popa Chera, Popa Radu and Dinu Lupu. This holy church has been founded before 7105 ( 1597 ) and this is proven by the following buying deed:

"To be acknowledged how I bought with master Ion of Bunesti de Jos, of Pauleni, from Stanciu and his brother three hills at Brusturetu and two in the valley, one the Câstei angle and another one in "manco"( smaller ) as 270 and the above-mentioned sold them willingly and at the knowledge of all neighbours up and down the centre of the place and Father Stanciu has witnessed, and from Bunesti and Ocna the mentioned Father Slalioan named Maria, and…. Master Ion had given the holy torches to the monastery at Sfeti Ion Zlataust ( golden mouth ) of greater Ocna, in order to take pity on himself and his sons, to be known this way : written in the month of July three days and years have passed from Adam till now 7105 our God be blessed forever and amen."

The Radu Church built in 1844 by Father Superio Nectarie. In the church's yard there are two big fir-trees. From the older one it bears its name ( Brad = Fir-tree ), but it is no longer there.

Gura-Suhasului, state's forest of 105 hectares , placed in the commune Ocnele Mari.

Gura-Suhasului , state's property, … of Bistrita monastery, leased for 1,100 Lei annually between 1886 - 1896; starting with April 23, 1892 it was sold out in plots to the inhabitants.

An English version by Sanda Nicoara