bg Timisoara

Serbian Orthodox Bishopric Palace

- Piața Unirii 4 -
The construction of the current two-story building, which was built with a residential and religious function, started in 1905 and was completed in 1906. The construction was executed according to a design that was created by the Hungarian architect . The project was executed as a remodelation of the original building, which was built somewhere between 1745 and 1748 in parallel with the during the time of Metropolitan . It was originally built to serve as the episcopal residence and seat of a Rascian school. The word Rascian was given by the Habsburgs to the Serbian minority living in Timișoara and other parts of the Habsburg Empire. The Rascian school carried out various religious seminars and courses teaching the Orthodox faith.
The building before the remodelation
The palace went on to serve as the headquarters of the Orthodox Serbian Bishop and as a center of Orthodox faith and culture in Timișoara. Following the split of the Orthodox Serbian and Romanian communities of Timișoara around the year 1825, the episcopal palace remained under the administration and ownership of the Serbian Orthodox Episcopate. The episcopal palace became the primary cultural center for the Serbian Orthodox faction and became known as the Serbian Episcopal Palace.
The building is visisble in an old postcard
The top of the symmetrical eastern facade of the building, which is built in the Eclectic style with some Moorish and Byzantine elements, is crowned with a cross as a . The top gable underneath it, which is decorated with all sorts of beautiful patterns, you can see a huge featuring a coat of arms surrounded by two angels. At this same height, you can admire multiple piers that can be seen around the entire building. A bit further down, you can admire a fragment containing tiles, as well as some , , , and semi-. A beautifully shaped is placed above some of the second floor windows, which resemble the top gable, while underneath some of the other windows, you can see a . The building features several balconies, which are secured with a stone balustrade and supported by two massive . The wooden main entrance door, which is located on the eastern side of the building, is flanked by two , which are crowned with an Ionic . Above the entrance, you can see a huge containing another coat of arms, as well as two , both of which contain an ornamental bishop's staff, a pillow, and a bishop's hat.
Another old postcard that shows the building