The Church of The Baron, Romania

The Church of The Baron is a small church and mausoleum, in a small Romanian village. It was built in the early 20th Century by a wealthy Baron, mimicking the style of a famous Romanian basilica. It was to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his family; a wife and two sons.

Two years after completion of the mausoleum, the Baron’s wife died and was interred here. Only 9 months later the Baron also passed away, joining her side in the family tomb. The family fortune was split among the two sons, as well as a part going to the local community. The sons fell upon hard times and were forced to sell the remains of the estate, and emigrate in search of new fortunes. The mausoleum was entrusted to local community.

The community re-purposed the building as a Roman Catholic church. As the building fell into disrepair, the congregation would make necessary repairs to the ceiling dome as leaks appeared.

The mausoleum was desecrated in 1950’s, by a communist major seeking to nationalise any enclosed treasures. Paintings and a statue of Jesus were also stolen over the following years. There were attempts to remove the pipe organ from upstairs, but the fragile and decaying instrument was dropped and damaged.

There are also tales of local teenagers sneaking into the crypt, and playing a macabre game of football with the baron’s and baroness’ skulls. The son of the church bell-ringer took it upon himself to inter the remains elsewhere, protecting them from further desecration. He now acts as keyholder, allowing interested travellers to visit.

Only the altar and a few piled-up pews remain in the otherwise stripped church. The once impressive domed ceiling, is collapsing as the decades pass. A rickety spiral staircase leads up to each bell tower.