For hundreds of years it is customary that, at the graves of the dead, to be put a wooden cross of St. Nicholas, Jesus Christ, St. George or the Virgin Mary, depending on who was placed at the bedside: man, woman or child. These crosses, often painted in bright colors, are called by locals “triptychs” or “cross with hat”.
Some locals of the village remember that their cemetery may date since the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
In the past, almost the entire village was occupied with making crosses, today, 50-60 years since then, this craft is kept only be 40 people. Currently, the number of crosses craftsmen in Piatra Olt reached four, of which only two are still working effectively, the rest being too old to be able to work. Among those who manufacture such rare objects is, also, a woman, the only woman who manufactures crosses in the village Pietris, who inherited the family tradition.
The traditional manufacturing stages of a cross are: preparing the wood for the cross, wood must be a healthy and a beautiful one – without knots. Then are prepared the accessories that will be mounted on the cross, meaning, that small pieces of wood that are placed on each side of the cross, as filling. Next, are assembled all the pieces of the cross, both big and the tiny ones. If the person who died was a man, a man riding a horse, is drawn, with blue color, representing St. George.
For the woman is used green color green and being drawn Virgin Mary and for the children Jesus Christ is painted . From immemorial time the Romanian people were Christian and their religious sentiment materialized through sacrificial giving with which have raised sanctuaries of worship. In addition to churches, a special category, are the triptychs.
Triptychs are defined as wood or stone crosses, adorned with various inscriptions, sculptures, icons unrelated to the cross itself. In different regions, these crosses are housed in a closed timber or stone building provided with a window (door) for visiting. Their interior resembles a small altar, besides having the cross with Christ crucified, icons of saints, towels, and basil and flower bunches, glass candles, plain or coated in metal.