hese houses
have been traced back to those used in Neolithic settlements.

Vestiges of Roman architecture can be found in Dobruja, Walachia, and
Transylvania. The most important of these are the remains of the bridge
built by Emperor Trajan across the Danube at Turnu Severin. A large
amphitheater has been unearthed at the site of the Dacian-Roman capital
of Sarmizegetusa at the southwestern tip of the Transylvanian plain.
Other Roman remains include several monuments as well as sections of
roads and aqueducts.

The period of greatest architectural creativity is usually referred to
as the feudal period, dating from the tenth century to the beginning of
the nineteenth century. The oldest structures of that period are the
fully preserved Byzantine church at Densus, Transylvania, and the ruins
of the Prince's Court at Curtea de Arges. Beginning in the fourteenth
century, distinctive architectural styles developed in Walachia,
Moldavia, and Transylvania.

The architecture of Walachia and Moldavia shows strong Byzantine
influences and includes all the special forms and decorative styles of
the several periods of Byzantine art. Specifically Romanian variations
are the exterior frescoes and the massive protecting walls of some of
the churches and monasteries.

Transylvanian architecture of the feudal period reflects Western
European influences, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and
Baroque styles. The fortified churches and castles built by German and
Hungarian settlers are reminiscent of similar structures in central
Europe but distinguished by their massiveness and fortifications. The
older architecture of several cities in central Transylvania is
completely Germanic or Hungarian in character, contrasting sharply with
that of Walachian and Moldavian cities. The typical Romanian
architecture found throughout the Transylvanian countryside is
particularly prominent in many rural wooden churches, which invariably
feature fine pointed spires.

During the seventeenth century the Brancovan style of architecture was
developed in Walachia, the name being derived from that of the ruling
Prince Constantin Brincoveanu. It is characterized by the use of open
porches supported by large pillars. The pillars and door and window
frames are usually elaborately carved with floral designs. The exterior
of the building is usually ringed by a wide, carved wooden band.
Outstanding examples of the Brancovan style are the Hurez Monaste