The Reformed Church of Sântămăria Orlea, in western Romania’s Hunedoara county, is on Europa Nostra’s 2026 list of the 7 Most Endangered Heritage Sites in Europe.
One of the oldest stone churches in the region, it combines Romanesque and Gothic influences and preserves a rare sequence of unrestored mural paintings dating from 1311 to the mid-15th century.
“Despite more than 700 years of continuous liturgical use, the church now faces serious threats from rising dampness, structural cracks, peeling frescoes and inadequate past roof repairs, placing both the building and its artworks at serious and imminent risk. Timely intervention could not only safeguard this unique site, but also establish Sântămăria Orlea as a regional model for heritage-led conservation, sustainable cultural tourism and continued community life,” a release from Europa Nostra explains.
“Although officially recognized as a monument of outstanding value, the Church of Sântămăria Orlea has endured decades of neglect and unsuitable interventions. Water has slowly found its way into the building, and cracks have appeared. The exceptional Byzantine-inspired frescoes, which have survived for centuries, now face the risk of irreversible loss. We believe that this trajectory must be urgently reversed. Inclusion on the 7 Most Endangered list can act as a powerful catalyst, drawing attention to the church’s precarious condition and mobilizing international knowledge and expertise,” the Advisory Panel of the 7 Most Endangered Program said.
The church was nominated for the 7 Most Endangered Program 2026 by the Kelemen Lajos Built Heritage Conservationists Society (KLMT), with the support of the owner, the Reformed Parish of Hațeg, as well as the Romanian Order of Architects, ICOMOS Hungary, and several academic partners.
The other sites on this year’s Most Endangered list are Katapola Village and Ancient City of Minoa (Greece), Fábri Watermill in Feked (Hungary), Blower Hall in Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg), British Barracks at Fort Chambray in Gozo (Malta), Vale de Milhaços Gunpowder Factory in Seixal (Portugal), and Weifert’s Brewery in Pančevo (Serbia).
The 7 Most Endangered Program is run by Europa Nostra, the European heritage civil society network, with the support of the European Investment Bank Institute. Since its launch in 2013, this nomination-based program has become a key civil society initiative dedicated to saving Europe’s heritage at risk. Each case on the final list is eligible to receive an EIB Heritage Grant of EUR 10,000 to support action towards saving it.
Other sites in Romania that have featured in previous editions of the 7 Most Endangered Program include the Neptune Baths ensemble in the spa resort of Băile Herculane and the Rosia Montana mining landscape, also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
(Photo:
Hunor Magyari/ Europa Nostra Flickr)
simona@romania-insider.com
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