Once at Radna, due to the side facing stairs, you are overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of the church, who's exterior resembles a castle, and you begin to understand the reason hundreds of worshipers come here to pray every year.

The first one to greet us is St. Anthony, whose statue is located right before the church entrance. The interior is very nice. Its simplicity yet baroque beauty make you stop to catch your breath. As in most roman-catholic churches, there are not many paintings and icons, but the existing ones are beautiful and well kept. The icon with the Virgin Mary stands above the main altar.

Ioan Slavici wrote about "Radna the beautiful" (Romanian: Radna cea frumoasă) in the novel "Mara": in front of the monastery Mara used to set up its stand and its filled baskets waiting for customers to arrive.

History

The first documentary attestation is in 1440.

In 1668 the Chapel of Franciscan Brothers receives a gift from Italy in the form of a paper printed icon. The same miraculous icon is being worshiped even today.

1695 is the year in which Ottoman soldiers set fire to the Franciscan Chapel of Radna. The only thing that escapes the fury of the flames is the icon printed on paper.

After the Turks were expelled from Banat, a new church was built. The construction of the current church, in baroque style, started in 1752 and ended in 1782.

Legend

Legend goes that the moment a Turkish rider wanted to approach the church, his horse's hoof sank in stone. The scene can be seen on the right wall of the church.

Visiting the monastery and church

Localization

The Church is located in Radna, close to Şoimoş Citadel. It is built on a hill 25 meters higher than the hearth of the town. Because of this, it is visible from great distances.

Tickets and hours

No entry fees are required and church may be visited during the day, however you have to keep in mind the parish's schedule:

  • During the week, Mondays to Fridays, at 18:00 in summer, and at 16:00 in winter
  • Saturdays at 10:30 in Romanian and Hungarian
  • Sundays and on holidays at 08:00 in Hungarian, after which at 10:30 in Romanian, Hungarian, and German.