In October, several construction projects on the fortified church in Agârbiciu were completed: After architect Liviu Gligor finalised the building plans in the summer, the church roof, i.e. the nave and the choir, could be repaired. During the works, each tile was checked individually – and some of the roof battens were also replaced.
The fortified church was supported by the 3-Kirchenburgen project of the AFCP (American Fund for Cultural Preservation), which also supported Movile and Daia: Approximately 5,000 euros were spent on construction planning, while the costs for construction work on the fortified church totalled around 18,000 euros and were raised by the highly committed Arbegen hometown community: Arbegen is a fine example of successful co-operation between the Fortified Churches Foundation and the hometown communitz. The construction site was supervised by the Fortified Churches Foundation’s monument conservation specialist, Sebastian Bethge, and the architect responsible, Liviu Gligor, who also teaches architecture at the Department of Conservation and Restoration at the University of Bucharest “Ion Mincu”. The site inspection has already taken place – the completed work was discussed here.
The fortified church is now equipped for the next 30 years or so; however, successful maintenance also requires appropriate care of the complex. Ensuring this requires financial resources and committed people on site.
The old historic roof truss in particular left a lasting impression on the construction site team: the experts actually found three roof trusses in one – each from a different era and also an impressive example of medieval carpentry.
The restoration of the west façade and the masonry on the bacon tower are planned for 2019, starting in spring. The moisture in the church is to be reduced by removing soil from the choir. The special tile covering of the circular wall with hollow tiles and the improvement of the above-ground rainwater drainage will also be tackled in the coming year.
Text: Aurelia Brecht
Photos: Sebastian Bethge
