The Roman-Catholic Episcopal Church

The Roman-Catholic Episcopal Church, located at 12 Union Square, is an emblematic building of Timișoara, also known as the St.George Cathedral.

The construction was carried out between 1731 and 1774, by architect Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach. The cornerstone was laid on August 6, 1754 by the Bishop of Cenad, Adalbert von Falkenstein.

The consecration of the Cathedral intended for the bishops of Cenad took place on April 24, 1803, and it was performed by Bishop Ladislaus Köszeghy de Remete.

From the architectural point of view, the Roman-Catholic Church was built in Baroque style. Because of the marshland, the building is reinforced by wooden pillars. Its size is impressive: it has a length of 55 meters, width of 22, the height of the nave is 16.90 meters, and that of the towers is 35.5 meters. The first bells were cast in 1763, and the clock was installed in 1764.

Nine altars may be admired once inside, all sculpted by Viennese artist Johan Müller, in Baroque and Rococo styles, as well as a painting of Michelangelo Unterberger, "St. George on horseback fighting the dragon", dating back to 1754; the icons and old statues, the oak carved doors, the side altars painted by German painter Johann Adam Schöpf and the organ in Louis XVI style. The first Baroque organ was built in 1767 by Viennese Paul Hanke, and the current one was manufactured in Timişoara, in 1908.

In 1756, the Cathedral was raised to the rank of first church of Timişoara, by decree of Empress Maria Theresa.

Over time, the Roman-Catholic Cathedral has undergone difficult times. Thus, between 1788 and 1790, during the battles between the Turks and the Austrians, the Cathedral was turned into a salt warehouse. During the siege of 1849, i.e. the Hungarian revolution, the building was seriously damaged.

Currently, the mass is celebrated every Sunday and on important holidays, always in 3 languages: Romanian, Hungarian and German. The Holy Pontifical Mass, performed by the Bishop, also contain parts in Latin, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech and Slovakian.

The Roman-Catholic Cathedral is open to visitors Monday through Sunday.

Text and photo sources: https://www.facebook.com/Episcopia-Romano-Catolică-Timișoara; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/