Bălilești: Churches, Architecture and Landscape

The mural of the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God near the Curtea lui Mareș Băjescu depicts the first known portrait of a builder in Wallachia. In Băjești, the ruins of the surrounding wall, distillery and cellar of the Curtea lui Mareș Băjescu have been preserved.

History and Architecture

These structural elements date from 1666. The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God near the Curtea was built in 1666 by the builder Dragomir. Tudoran Zugravul painted it in 1669. The Curtea is considered a feudal manor characteristic of the new boyar class of the second half of the 17th century.

Among the settlements belonging to the Bălilești commune, Băjești is the earliest to be documented. The record is dated 5 September 1519. A stone cross from 1662 stands about 250 metres west of the church in Băjești.

The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Românești district is also known as the Church of All Saints. It is a historic monument dating from 1824. Its three-apse ground plan has polygonal apses; it also has an open porch.

Landscape

The area of Bălilești commune belongs to the piedmont hills of the Argeș in the Getic Piedmont. The interfluves run parallel to one another and are elongated. Towards the south, they widen into broad, level ridges. Steep valley slopes separate them from one another.

The most important landforms in the commune include plateaus, terraces and floodplains. Most of the slopes between the floodplains and valleys of Bălilești commune are forested. The Bratia, together with the Râul Târgului, is one of the most important watercourses in the commune's area.

Places and Crafts

The memorial to the fallen of Bălilești stands in a small park near the town hall. It combines an obelisk, a cross and two round sculptures of Romanian army soldiers. Priboaia has a pottery tradition that includes, among other things, the production of jugs and bowls.

In Valea Mare-Bratia stands the Agripina Constantinescu House, a historic monument dating from the mid-19th century.

Further Places

Other directly assigned places are Coteneşti, Costești, Linteşti, Argeșelu, Ștefănești, Oarja, Bascov and Leordeni.

Regional Context

The Museum of Ethnography and History in Golești, Professor Dan Dimulescu Collection, preserves examples of archaeological finds from the area of the former Golești commune. These examples include Gumelnița, Dacian and Roman pottery.

A suitable road network connects the villages belonging to Bălilești commune with one another. It also connects the commune to DN 73 between Pitești and Brașov.

When searching for a holiday apartment in Bălilești, the place name remains the direct point of reference for planning your stay; this allows you to keep your stay open at first, aligning it with your personal travel preferences and then connecting it with your other travel decisions.

For the higher-level travel overview: Argeş.