Technikatörténeti örökség a kalotaszegi Magyarvalkón - Bitay, Enikő; Márton, László; Talpas, János; Bitay, Enikő (Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, 2009)
In the history of a settlement the aspects linked to technical history are of major importance, as they are part of the course of culture and civilization. Research work, the insertion of findings in the complex of historical sciences is up-to-date in present historiography.This book contains the results of research in the field of technical history, research done in Văleni-Călata. The settlement appears for the first time in the written documents of the XIII-th century (in 1213) under the name of Vulchoi villa.
As the years passed the settlement became also known as Wolcov (1291), Walko (1297), Wolko (1372), and Walko again (1468).In the year 1291 the settlement was among those ones that were paying taxes to the bishop of Oradea.The name of the settlement is most likely linked to the name of the noble Valkay family, onwer of lands, whose last representative disappeared in the year 1730.From the point of view of the settlement's history the XVIth and XVIIth centuries brought about great changes. Reformation, the invasion of Tartars, the multiple fires - all had benefic consequences. The devastated church was rebuilt and a fortress was erected around it. The tower was built and it got the function of a watchtower as well, in the fortified defence system of the settlement.The church is placed in a lovely region, under the protection of a forest arch.
The building is architecturally well balanced, its tower has an unmatched robustness and it can be regarded as one of the most beautiful churches belonging to the Reformed Episcopate of Transsylvania.The general architectural characteristic of the church belongs to the Gothic style, although it also has a series of elements of the Roman styleand Gothic, respectively.A special feature, unique to this church in the whole region is that, the space under the tower is part of the pro–nave, augmenting its dimensions.From the point of view of technical history the counter–fortress walls of the church are made of adzed rectangular stones, this being a real demonstration of the skill of the carvers of the time. As a binding element mortar with lime was used and this gave the building enough resistence. The church is entirely covered with shingle.
This refers to the church tower and also to the four small towers with cellular ceilings painted by the renowned carpenter and church ceiling painter Lőrinc Umling. This adds to the architectural and artistic value of the church.The monumental aspect is better underlined owing to some elements of building in Roman style originating from the previous building. These elements were organically incorporated in the present architecture of the church.The church tower gives home to three liturgy bells and a small bell to presignal the stroke of the horologe. Two of the bells, the biggest in dimension, were casted in Cugir in 1924 by the bell founder Oszkar Klein. The third bell originates from the bell foundry of the Andraschovski family in Cluj. For over a century the family had been known as famous for casting bells, a tradition passed on from father to son. The bell from Văleni wascasted in 1855 by János Andraschovski.
The three bells are beautifully decorated in Baroque and Gothic style. They are placed on a wooden rack made from oak wood carved with a poleaxe. The wood of the rack is the very casing of the bell bail axes.Keeping company to the bells is the horologe built to the special order of the parish in the year 1839. As to where, and in which workshop of the time it was built, one doesn't yet have an answer. It is believed that the building took place in Oradea because this is the place of origin for several other horologes of the churches in the neighbourhood. This particular horologe is made up of three functional modules. The first module is the one that makes the horologe work and it rules the other two. The second module is responsible for the strokes of the quarters, while the third module makes the pre–signal bell work.The pre–signal bell marks the hours and it is located at the extremity of the tower, above the southern part of the porch.