The church in Densuș has a story which has not been fully deciphered. Both the origin and the date of the construction of the church have been the object of many controversies.
Some believe that it was a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mars, turned into a church in the 12th-13th centuries. Others claim that in antiquity it was the mausoleum of the Roman general Longinus Maximus, whose wife discovered the Cristian faith and set up, in place of the mausoleum, the first church north of the Danube.
Today, the church has an unusual aspect, being a mixture of styles and materials. Some windows are in fact parts of ancient Roman sewerage works, the walls are supported by columns, the altarpiece is the top of a tombstone, the lions on the roof were Roman statues, and the massive stones in the wall retain ancient carvings.
One can even see, in its old walls, parts of the Roman ruins from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa: Roman bricks, columns, stones with ancient inscriptions or even statues. Inside there is another unique feature: on the icon of the Holy Trinity, Christ is shown wearing Romanian folk costume.
Densuș Church is one of the most important tourist attractions in the region. Its unique character and the fact that it serves as a village church make it a must-see.
