Bretea Română (Oláhbrettye, Wallachisch-Brettendorf) – Hunedoara County
Being empty for almost half a century, the abandoned church in Bretea Română has a mysterious story that gives chills to the locals. Even though the former place of worship looks horrible, it attracts tourists like a magnet.
The old church in Bretea Română, abandoned in favor of the „Hungarian church”
Built towards the end of the 18th century (~1781), the Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel Church in Bretea Română served the Orthodox community for two centuries. With the disappearance of the ethnic Hungarians, the Orthodox bought the reformed church in the center of the village in 1978, which was then in better condition. They renovated it, then reconsecrated it in 1981, with the same name as the old place of worship, left in ruins by the villagers. Built of large, solid stones brought from the bed of the Strei River, the tower has remained standing to this day, but the brick walls of the nave are rapidly collapsing day by day.
With the surounding stone wall destroyed and left without its bells, the tower with the crooked cross ravaged by lightning can be seen from a great distance, still watching over the village. The massive oak door is the only thing that still reminds us of the long-gone days when prayers were still murmured between the walls, which today are overgrown with weeds and bushes. The same door also once hid behind it one of the few fragments of paintings left more or less intact after the entire church was destroyed by wind and rain.
The church in Bretea Română, shadowed by the legend of a dark curse
Right at the entrance to the nave, on the right side of the wall, the image of a black devil was visible. It had numerous spikes in his head, mouth up to his ears, holding a goblet. According to the villagers, it symbolised Death. Although it was covered with a thick layer of plaster in the past, the image has resurfaced, striking fear into superstitious locals. They said that Death symbolised by the drunken Devil was a bad omen for their village.
Some even claimed that it was this curse that also led to the collapse, in February 2014, of the road bridge over the Strei River, located just a few steps away from the ruined church. However, during our most recent visit in March 2025, we noticed that someone had decided to put an end to this legend once and for all. Where the mural once existed, only its outline remains. The image itself was destroyed by a determined hand, eager to rid the village of the Devil for good. Well, isn’t that devilish! 🙂
But the real curse, the palpable and visible one, is different. It is worth mentioning that people are still buried in the churchyard. During our previous visit, the graves were also overgrown with weeds and littered with trash. The older iron crosses had either been stolen or destroyed. It was a disgrace for the villagers to cross the rickety wooden bridge and step through the rusty gate, only to find the neglected graves of the young men who had fallen in battle during World War I. The situation has changed slightly in recent years, though.
The old gate has been replaced with a new one, and there is now a new fence as well. The overgrown weeds around the old church have disappeared. The tall grass has been cut, and the churchyard now looks much better. Unfortunately, the interior of the building remains just as neglected. This time, in addition to plastic bottles and tin cans, we unfortunately found the carcasses of poor puppies – quite sinister if we consider the dark legend. Avoided and ignored by the locals, the old church in Bretea Română remains, however, an intriguing attraction for tourists who love mysteries.
Although it has significant potential, located only a short distance from Hațeg, Sântămăria-Orlea or Densuș, and is designed as a tourist attraction by the local authorities, the old Orthodox church in Bretea Română is promoted little to none. As it stands, it is unlikely that the walls will last too long before they are completely „drowned” by the dense bushes and weeds…