The Byzantine style

  The Romanian medieval civilization appeared and definitized its original features in the area of the Byzantine civilisation of Orthodox confession by the side of slaves from south and east. The byzantine influences didn't make from the Romanian civilization a servile copy of the civilization from the New Rome. On the contrary, Constantinopole's models found their expression to the north of Danube in a synthesis distinct in meanings not only from the Byzantine one but also from the creations of the Romanian Orthodox neighbours.

  The main way on which the Byzantine models penetrated in the Romanian countries was the ecclesiastic one. The Romanian church was, ever since the beginning of the history the Romanian states, subordinate to the patriarchate from Constantinopole. The metropolitan church from the Romanian Country, created in 1359, was subordinate to the patriarch. In 1386/1387, there appeared the Metropolitan church of Moldavia, which from 1402, entered under the authority of Constantinopole. The church of the Romanians from Transylvania belonged, directly or through the mountain Metropolitan Church, to the New Rome.

  But art remained the most important teritory of Constantinopole influences. Come on south-slave way but, more frequently, directly through Constantinopole, these influences ended being organicaly integrated into a Romanian style in architecture and painting, which contained, not only these models, but also the traditions of Romanian architecture and the Gothic influences from the Occident.