Biserica reformată din Rapoltu Mare (comuna Rapoltu Mare, județul Hunedoara). Noi date privind construirea și evoluția arhitectonică a lăcașului de cult prin prisma cercetărilor arheologice din anul 2021

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The Calvin Reformed Church from Rapoltu Mare is one of the important ecclesiastical monuments af Hunedoara County, that draws the attention and interest through the shape of the sanctury (with axial closing) and the murals dated în the 14th and 15th centuries. In our paper, we present the results of the archaeological research of church undertaken in 2021 as a preparation of the renovation and drainage system at the north and western sides. We have also examined the historical and art-historical literature, focusing on its transformations down the centuries. The archaeological excavations evidenced that the nave and the sanctuary of the church were built in the same phase, together with the sacristy in the 14th century. A tower bell was built on the west side of the nave, on a later construction phase, but before 1523. One of the most important finds is that the church is succeeding a stone building, most likely a previous place of worship, probably built in the late 13th century. Over the course of the research, 39 graves with 40 deceased were discovered. The cemetery can by dated between 13th and late 17th centuries.