Wooden Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God – Glâmbocu

If you are in Argeș, you have reached the land of wood civilization: rich, refined, remarkable. An art where wooden churches reach their peak of expression. Look at this jewel. It looks like a wooden shell that protects the pearl core of holiness. It's the church in Glâmbocu. 

Built in 1808 by the freeholder villagers and “embellished with paint” by Panteleimon “Zograf” (Painter) in the summer of the same year, the wooden church dedicated to the “Assumption” and “St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel” still preserves the original fresco on the iconostasis and the partition wall between the nave and the narthex.

A “rope-like” girdle surrounds the walls under the window sills. The joints are “dovetail”. On the entrance door you can admire beautiful sculptural details, as an undeciphered message from anonymous craftsmen to eternity. 

 Built in 1804-1808 from oak beams and covered with shingles, the church was founded by the freehold villagers Radu Draguțoiu and his wife Creața and Radu Dascălu. The ship-shaped building has a single steeple that serves as a bell tower.  The first priests who served here between 1808 and 1859 were Iana and Ristea. 

The painting is “a fresco”, made by the painter Pantelimon, more than 200 years ago, in the summer of 1808. It stands out due to the post-Brâncoveanu influence. The specific elements of the style can be seen both in the iconography and in the decorative repertoire. The iconostasis façade facing the altar still preserves the original painting to this day.

After 1869, when the porch was added, the painters Apostu from Pitești and Nicolae from Mioveni masterfully painted it on the inside and on the outside in folk style, with a strong picturesque character. 

For your pilgrimage in this area to be complete, you can also visit the “Saint George” church in Bascov, built in 1730-1750, but also the Princely Church and the Mavrodolu Church in Pitești. 

Among the tourist attractions of Pitești, we recommend the Argeș County Museum, with exhibitions of Romanian fine art, history, archaeology, ecology, as well as the Pitești Prison Memorial, known for the fact that, between 1949-1951, the Pitești Experiment took place there, considered the most intensive brainwashing programme in the communist block.

The Musical Fountain and the Trivale Park in Pitești are perfect locations for spending time in a pleasant way.