Religious Heritage

International art competition invites artists to depict the Flight into Egypt

Artists from around the world are invited to take part in an international visual arts competition dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. The competition is organised by the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy and runs from 1 October to 10 December. According to the organisers, the initiative aims to showcase artistic interpretations…

Oct 16, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate to host national conference on Byzantine heritage and contemporary church art

The Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest will host the National Conference “Doctrinal Unity and National Distinctiveness in Church Painting” in November, bringing together specialists in iconography, church painting, architecture and restoration. Now in its 13th edition, the Romanian Patriarchate’s Church Painting Commission will organise the conference on 12–13 November. This year’s theme is Church…

Oct 13, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

UNESCO adds Sebastia archaeological site in West Bank to World Heritage List

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has inscribed the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank on the World Heritage List. The decision was adopted during the Committee’s 48th session, held in Busan, South Korea. More than three millennia of continuous habitation According to the nomination dossier, Sebastia has been continuously inhabited for more than 3,000…

Aug 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romania showcased as European cultural-religious destination at Cotroceni Palace exhibition

An exhibition titled “Romania – A Leading European Cultural and Religious Destination,” dedicated to Europe Day, opened on Thursday at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. For the first time, the Basilica News Agency displayed photographs at an event organised by the presidential administration. The exhibition was organised on the occasion of Europe Day in partnership with…

May 8, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Archaeologists confirm historic burial ground at Iași church after human remains found

Archaeologists have confirmed the existence of an old cemetery surrounding the Church of Saints Athanasius and Cyril in Iași after human remains were uncovered during restoration works at the historic church. The discovery includes 57 human skeletons believed to belong to the cemetery that existed in the churchyard until 1946. The Church of Saints Athanasius…

Apr 29, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Moldovan Parliament Speaker meets Metropolitan Petru to discuss religious heritage restoration and church-state cooperation

His Eminence Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia met on Monday with Igor Grosu, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, at the Metropolitan Residence in Chișinău. Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Father Gabriel-Andrei Gherasă, Administrative Vicar of the Archdiocese of Chișinău, and Archdeacon Iurie Saganovschi, Secretary of…

May 19, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian community restores church near Paris in historic Van Gogh village

Eight years after being acquired by the Romanian Orthodox community, the Church of Saint Anthimos the Iberian in Auvers-sur-Oise, a commune 30 km from Paris, is undergoing extensive restoration. Currently, restoration efforts focus on the interior frescoes and the renovation of the courtyard. Ongoing Restoration Efforts Shortly after its acquisition, the church was adapted to…

Feb 6, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu