The “cula” from Lupoaia, Gorj County

Ileana CIOAREC
3rd Degree Scientific Researcher, PhD. “C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopşor” Institute for Research in Social Studies and Humanities from Craiova, of the Romanian Academy, Romania;
E-mail: ileanacioarec@yahoo.com

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5437-3204

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.59277/CSNPISSH.2022.19

Copyright (c) 2022.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Published on December 19, 2022

Abstract
Since medieval times, in the area of Oltenia, several tower–dwellings were preserved, which remind, by their structure and construction system, of the Byzantine ones or of those from the Balkan world. They are called, by a term of Turkish origin, cula/ă (cule for plural = tower, turret).
In Gorj County, there were quite a few cule, most of them on Gilort and Motru rivers valleys. Their placement and the construction site indicate their identity and functionality: watch–tower and signalling cule, refuge and defence cule, or dwellings.
Such a request was also answered by the cula from Lupoaia, built by the members of Săvoiu family. It was built by Costache Săvoiu, called Surcel, towards the end of the eighteenth century and had, at first, the role of refuge and defense. Later, after stoves were built inside the cule, it began to be used as a permanent dwelling as well. The cula had a rectangular shape and three levels (one ground floor and two floors).

Keyword
cula, Lupoaia, family Săvoiu, a shape, building

References:

ANSJ Dolj, the Historical Monument Commission, file 28 cule.

Acte judiciare din Țara Românească 1775-1781, Bucharest, Romanain Academy Publishing House, 1973.

Cămui, I., Culele din Gorj, in “Litua. Studii și cercetări”, II, 1982, pp. 335-347.

Chipurici, N., Oltenia medievală de vest. Catalog de documente (1374-1820), Drobeta Turnu Severin, Tipo Radical Publishing House, 2016.

Cretzianu, S., Cronica Stăicului, Bucharest, Eminescu Publishing House, 1984.

Crețeanu, R., Culele și casele întărite de pe Valea Motrului, in “Buletinul Comisiei Monumentelor Istorice. Seria Monumente și Muzee”, I, 1958, pp. 93-118.

Crețeanu, R., Crețeanu, S., Culele din România, Bucharest, Meridiane Publishing House, 1969.

Croitoru, G., Proprietatea asupra pământului în județul Mehedinți la începutul secolului al XX-lea, in “Arhivele Olteniei”, New Series, no. 16, 2002, pp. 87-104.

Documenta Romaniae Historica, B, Țara Românească, vol. XI (1593-1600), Bucharest, Romanian Academy Publishing House, 1975.

Donat, I., Pătroiu, I., Ciobotea, D., Catagrafia Obștească a Țării Românești din 1831, Craiova, Helios Publishing House, 1999.

Godea, V., Culele din România: tezaur de arhitectură europeană, Timișoara, Western Publishing House, 2006.

Ionescu de la Brad, I., Agricultura română din județul Mehedinți, Bucharest, 1868.

Mărășescu, V., Ctitorii și anul zidirii bisericii din parohia Lupoaia, in “Mitropolia Olteniei”, year XXVI, 1974, no. 11-12, pp. 997-1000.

Pătroiu, I., La cumpăna a două epoci 1849-1877, Craiova, Scrisul Românesc Publishing House, 1983.

Popescu, E., Culele. Tiplogii ale locuinței fortificate boierești, in “Caiete de arte și design”, no. 6/2018, pp. 85-92.

Popica, L., Familia Săvoiu, in “Litua. Studii și cercetări”, IX, 2003, pp. 299-307.