On the main entrance (West Gate) of the Oradea Fortress is a hidden
chronogram. The age and author of the rather new plaque is unknown. The text on
it reads:
Deo VnI trInoqVe gratIe
qVI Ipsa saLVtarI hostIe saCrata
DIe ostIa aperuVIt VaraDInI
The English translation is: Thanks to the single and sustaining god,
who on the very day of the holy (beneficial) host has opened the gates of
Oradea.
The letters forming the chronogram are neither at a different size, nor
color. It was just found because of
this webpage:
"Wrong chronicle on the frontispiece of the West Gate of the
Oradea Fortress
A chronicle or a chronogram is an inscription in which the letters
corresponding to the Roman numerals are highlighted and form a historical
date.
Although many certainly do not notice it, such an inscription
is also on the frontispiece at the main entrance (west gate) in the Oradea
Citadel. It's just that a faithful subscriber of Jurnal Bihorean pointed out
to us the fact that the old text in Latin is wrongly written on the
relatively recent plate. The text is as follows: "DEO VNI TRINOQVE GRATIE
QVI IPSA SALVTARI HOSTIAE SACRATA DIE OSTIA APERUVIT VARADINI. The
translated text would be: THANKS TO THE SINGLE AND SUSTAINING GOD, WHO ON
THE VERY DAY OF THE HOLY (BENEFICIAL) HOST HAS OPENED THE GATES OF ORADIA.
The Roman letters in the text that have a numerical value are: D = 500 x 3 =
1500; L = 50 x 1 = 50; C = 100 x 1 = 150; V = 5 x 6 = 30; I = 1 x 12 = 12.
All added together mean the year 1692, the year the city of Oradea was
liberated from Turkish occupation.
Unfortunately, it cannot be deduced that it is a chronicle because the
letters that have a numerical value in Latin should have been colored or
possibly larger, to stand out, the reader states. Likewise, GRATIE is
written GRATIAE, and APERUVIT is incorrect because U and V are not used in
the same text. Correct is APERVIT. Maybe the mayors will find a solution to
make the strict corrections."
Translated from source:
www.bihon.ro/stirile-judetului-bihor/cronosticon-gresit-pe-frontispiciul-portii-de-vest-a-cetatii-oradea-3931269/