Born and Papp Museum

The Memorial Ensemble of the Martyrs in Moisei is a commemoration of the supreme sacrifice of our ancestors for the land. On the fateful date of October 14th, 1944, a number of 29 Romanians lost their lives in two wooden houses on the outskirts of Moisei, under the fire of the retreating Hungarian troops. The two homes of horror became memorial houses in 1983, paying homage to the memory of those who, in an attempt to reach their families, died innocently. Here you can see personal items and photos that belonged to the victims. The lifeless bodies of those who fell prey to the bullets were buried in a mass grave only two weeks after the tragic episode, above which was erected a wooden crucifix, which was later replaced by a memorial ensemble made by the famous sculptor from Maramureș, Vida Géza. The monument includes two human faces and ten traditional masks made of stone, each of which has a symbolism related to sacrifice and redemption, as well as the injustices and tragedies that occurred during the war.

The village of Plopiş located in the Cavnic Valley is truly amazing in terms of how man's creativity intertwines with the beauty of the nature. Harmony, elegance and suppleness make the whole area a true temple, whose central point is the wooden church dedicated to the "Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel". The church cemetery can be entered through a gate which opens the path crossing through the tombs of the founders of this monument. In 1789, forty-nine families from the Cavnic Valley (in the current township of Şişeşti) began the construction of a new place of worship, which was consecrated in November 1811. The church in Plopiş, 47 meters high, 17 meters long and 7 meters wide, still stands on the plateau of the village cemetery, giving the feeling that, without it, nature would be incomplete. The edifice, erected on a stone foundation, consists of a porch, narthex, nave and altar. Included in the Maramureș style of construction, the church has, however, some characteristic elements: the upper beams of the walls do not extend into the console, the very narrow eaves confer suppleness to the monument. The ornaments of the porch arches, created with great accuracy, are made of several stepped or round-shaped wooden segments, so joining those using wooden nails solves the technical problems, as well as the artistic aspirations. All of this gives us another testimony of the mastery of the craftsmen from the Cavnic Valley. The iconography is impressive due to the theme chosen by the painter Ştefan, the author of this painting, as well as from Şurdeşti church. The Baroque style of the iconographic ensemble offers the painter the opportunity to develop metaphorical images that plastically illustrate complicated events from the Revelations according to St. John. The entire semi-cylindrical vault of the nave depicts the second coming of Christ, announced by the trumpets of angels. Archangel Michael, patron of the church in Plopiş, appears victorious above the balcony. On the western wall of the nave, Jesus Christ appears in the form of the sun, offering John the Evangelist the text of the Revelations. This whole iconographic ensemble, which speaks of the end of the world, is surrounded by the council of the twenty-four elders in John's vision, painted in the lateral lobes of the only three-lobed vault in Maramureş.   Although small in size, the stunning church in Plopiş shows a great sense of proportion, reason why some researchers consider it to be the most unitary and well-balanced wooden church in Maramureş.

The ancient hearth of human habitation, Iza Valley, is home to several villages whose history is lost in the mists of time. The village of Ieud was part of the domain of Bogdan from Cuhea, the legendary Maramureș voivode who, by conquering the lands east of the Carpathians and declaring independence from the Kingdom of Hungary, later became the founding Prince of Moldavia. According to legend, the Church of Ieud Deal, dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary, was erected in the second half of the 14th century, but recent research dates it to the beginning of the 17th century. Built of fir wood, the monument is a testament, centuries later, of the mastery of carpenters in this region. The layout of the church was adapted to the needs of the Orthodox Christian cult, being composed of three rooms: narthex, nave and altar. The access inside the place of worship is made from the west, through a portal without decoration, recurrent at the entrance to the nave. Natural light penetrates the monument through small pentagonal windows. With only four pentagonal openings, the narthex is dark. The nave, however, enjoys more sunlight, coming from its twelve windows, six placed on each side: three at the lower level and three at the upper one. Above the narthex rises the famous Maramureș bell tower. Unique architectural solution for wooden constructions, the steeple supports a turret covered by a square-shaped coif with a square base, which points to the sky, defying the law of gravity, reminiscent of the audacious forms of European Gothic. The mural painting and the icons dating back to the 18th century give a special value to this monument. The church was painted in 1782 by Alexandru Ponehalschi, one of the most important representatives of the post-Byzantine current in Maramureş at that time. An original element of the Maramureș iconography is represented by the scenes in the nave of this place of worship, which capture the themes of conversion and baptism. It is about the baptism by Deacon Philip of a great Ethiopian ruler and the conversion of the Holy Apostle Paul. A true temple of the ancestral faith and culture, the church in Ieud preserved among its beams one of the oldest manuscripts in Romanian, also known as the "Codex of Ieud". The manuscript currently enriches the collection of the library of the Romanian Academy with its pages, full of spirituality and history. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

Along the Iza Valley, the road that accompanies the Botiza and Poieni streams leads to the village of Poienile Izei, where the impressive wooden church "Pious Parascheva" is located. Built in the first half of the 17th century - a period when the Moldavian voivode Vasile Lupu brought the relics of the Pious Parascheva to Iaşi - the church is a testament, over the years, of the cultural and religious ties between the Romanians from Maramureş region and the Moldavians. The accurate shapes of the monument, along with the decorative elements obtained through the artistic direction of the wooden structure, impress and create harmony with the surrounding nature. The building observes the traditional configuration, with a narthex, nave and altar, to which a porch was later added. Unlike other preserved monuments, the shape of the altar is reminiscent of the ancient square-altared churches, an architectural solution rarely found today. The double-guttered roof is laid over the two-tiered walls. The altar has its own roof, laid slightly lower than that of other buildings. The bell tower is provided with the customary turret protruding from the console, covered with the specific coif. Sharp and very flared, it rests on the eight short pillars, connected at the top by carved wooden arches, and at the bottom - by the shingle-covered battlement. The iconography of the place of worship in Poienile Izei immortalizes the folk art of the Maramureș villages from the end of the 18th century. Traditional reminiscences, post-Byzantine themes and a baroque approach merge here in what has been called an "eclectic style". Painted in 1794 by the painter Gheorghe from Dragomireşti, the church stands out with some special thematic features. In addition to the dramatic scenes depicting the torments of sinners in Hell, a unique symbolic representation of Christ's sacrifice is painted in the nave. It is a pelican that tears its breast to feed its young with its own flesh; a tragic metaphor that speaks of the sacrifice of Christ and of the sacrifices of the natives of these places. These elements make this place of worship in Poienile Izei unique, but at the same time they do not exclude it from the style of the other wooden churches in Maramureş which are UNESCO monuments, therefore it certainly deserves its place among them. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel 

Located right in the heart of Lăpuş Country, Rogoz village boasts one of the most beautiful wooden churches in Maramureş. It was erected in 1663, on the site of a church burned by the Tartars during their invasion in 1661 and legend says that it was built from two huge pieces of woods brought from Popii Hill. The church dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel is, in general, part of the architecture specific to this region. Unlike other churches, the Rogoz place of worship stands out through its harmonious asymmetry. The roof, on one level, is much lower in the northern part of the building, providing protection for a table designed to commemorate the dead. The monumental table consists of two beams and is delimited by segments, intended for various families, whose names are inscribed on the north wall of the church. These families respect the tradition and, every year, on Holy Thursday, they bring "dishes", leaving them on the table overnight, so that on the Friday of the Crucifixion of Christ be given to the poor. The harmonious architectural lines gracefully blend with the unique decorative elements. In addition to the interesting three-ring coif, located above the steeple’s turret we find in Rogoz a beautiful entrance portal to the narthex and a twisted rope, broken by a solar symbol, which runs along the entire south wall. Unique in Maramureş are, however, the ends of the beams that support the roof, carved in the shape of stylized horses. Those on the southern façade are considered, in the village, to be carriers of the Sun on the celestial vault, and those on the north side are considered carriers of the Sun at night, in the realm of the dead. The altar is provided with a circular window to the east, through which, between  August 1-15, the sun's rays penetrate and illuminate the table of the Holy Altar for 30 minutes. This characteristic individualizes it, placing it next to other monuments in the history of art, which direct the sun's rays towards important symbolic elements. The monument outstands through the painting executed in 1785 by the painters Radu Munteanu and Nicolae Man. The iconographic appearance is close to the one in Deseşti and is very well preserved. It is interesting to follow one element from the Last Judgment, which is painted in the narthex, namely: the road to Heaven, on which the soul travels, accompanied by an angel. The theme is inspired by a folk belief that speaks of the trials that men go through after death in order to reach God. The church and the people of Rogoz village quickly introduce you into a fairytale world, where the natural and the supernatural seem to blend effortlessly.

At the foot of the Gutâi Mountains, at the intersection of the roads that connect the towns of Baia Sprie and Cavnic, there is a beautiful hilly area, surrounded by mountains. Here, the splendor of nature's harmonies is matched only by the monumental wooden church that rises in this depression. Raised above space and time, the 54-meter tower of the church in Şurdeşti gives the feeling of complete peace between people and nature. The church was built in the middle of the 18th century by the master carpenter Macarie, whose name is preserved in a visible inscription today verandah above the porch. Initially, the place of worship had three rooms: a narthex, a nave and an altar. In the 19th century, a spectacular porch with two rows of arches was added (on the ground floor and upstairs), thus obtaining a harmonious decoration for the western part of the building. A carved belt in the shape of a rope surrounds the monument, and the entrance to the narthex is made through a portal, decorated with the same motif of the rope, but also with solar symbols. In the nave there is another unique architectural element: two columns carved in stone, which support the balcony for the choir. The monumentality of the building is underlined by the way the tower is built. To achieve the astonishing height, the carpenters build a structure with a very generous base, which rests on the wooden walls of the church.  The iconographic appearance of the Greek-Catholic Church in Şurdeşti is similar, stylistically and thematically, to that of the Orthodox Church in Plopiş. The altar was also painted by the painter Ştefan, who uses here in a unique way the theme of the council of the twenty-four elders from the Apocalypse. The nave, it seems, was painted by a certain painter named Stan. The style remains Baroque, and the theme of the semi-cylinder completes the history of the end of the world in the vision of Saint John the Evangelist, so well captured in Plopiş. In addition to the common themes, here one will find the theme of "Jacob's Ladder"; supported by the cloud surrounding the icon of the Trinity, the ladder allows angels to ascend and descend, thus mediating between God and man. The sister churches from Plopiş and Şurdeşti prove over time that the confessional difference, which appeared at the beginning of the 18th century in Maramureş, did not change the way of being of the inhabitants and did not bring radical changes in the architecture of the places of worship or in their iconography.

The rich forests in the area of ​​the Cosău River offered the people the wood used for the construction of the beautiful church in Budeşti-Josani, located about 30 km south of Sighetu Marmaţiei, in the direction of the Cavnic town. Dedicated to Saint Nicoară - the folk name of Saint Nicholas - the edifice was erected in 1642 and is part of the group of large churches in Maramureş. Erected in the first part of the 17th century, the church witnessed the rebellion against the House of Austria of the Transylvanian prince, Francisc Rakoczi. He was backed up by the famous Maramureş outlaw, Pintea the Brave (Pintea Viteazul). The revolt was defeated and Pintea was killed during the siege of Baia Mare, but the name of the beloved outlaw will forever remain linked to the church in Budeşti-Josani, where some of its chainmail are exposed. Here you can also see a flag of Rakoczi, the prince who was supported by Pintea.  The monument is located on the top of a hill, in the middle of the cemetery. A traditional Maramureş gate opens the path, guarded by the graves of the ancestors. The rich forests in the area of ​​the Cosău River provided the people wood for the construction of the beautiful church in Budeşti-Josani, located about 30 km south of Sighetu Marmaţiei, in the direction of the Cavnic town. Dedicated to Saint Nicoară - the folk name of Saint Nicholas - the edifice was erected in 1642 and is part of the group of large churches in Maramureş.  The architecture of the building is notable for its dimensions (18 meters long and 9 meters wide), the technical solution chosen to support the walls and the tiered roof. The walls and the roof are harmoniously joined, so that the two ridges of the roof surround the church, from the narthex to the altar. Also, the joints at the corners represent veritable masterpieces, extended by consoles far protruding, in order to support the flared roof. The bell tower distinguishes itself from those of other churches in Maramureș, being provided with a pavilion much extended on the outside and topped by a wrought iron cross. The main spire is flanked, at the base, by four small spires, symbolizing the Council of the Elders held in the village of Budeşti, in old days. The door of the place of worship has a monumental frame, whose ornaments include a series of carefully arranged motifs.  Iconographically, the church is a perfect example of post-Byzantine tradition – expressed by  the painting of Alexandru Ponehalschi, from 1762 - but also of Baroque influence, present in the altar painting, done in 1812 by Ioan Opriş. The south wall of the nave stands apart thanks to the image of the prophet Elijah (Ilie) ascending to heaven in a chariot of fire. Visitors shall discover in Budeşti-Josani an important collection of wood carved and glass icons, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, which are striking through their harmony of colors and the simplicity of the lines. One of them is inscribed with the following text: "This icon was made by the too-sinful George".

The "George Pop de Băsești" Memorial Museum was first opened to the public in 1976. Arranged right inside the architectural masterpiece that was erected between 1885-1890 and which belonged to the President of the Grand National Assembly in Alba Iulia, George Pop de Băsești, the memorial museum was recently restored and reintroduced into the sightseeing tour. For about three decades great political figures of the time met at the residence of George Pop's family, including: Vasile Lucaciu, Vasile Goldiș, Ion Rațiu, Nicolae Iorga, Nicolae Filipescu, Iosif Vulcan, Vasile Braniște, Iuliu Maniu, Teodor Mihali and others.  Inside the memorial museum, visitors can discover the documentary-historical exhibition "George Pop de Băsești and the Great Union of Romanians", which emphasizes the importance of the illustrious political leader in the fight for national unity, but also pieces of furniture and antiques, which recreate the ambiance of the times when the leader of the Great Union put all its knowledge and skill in the fight for the rights of the Transylvanians. Among the valuable pieces exhibited here, some have been found in the patrimony of the Museum of History and Archeology of Maramureș. The collection was completed by the joint effort of other museums in Cluj, Sălaj and Satu Mare, as a result of which the institution's patrimony was enriched with numerous relevant materials, related to the name of this prominent figure of the Transylvanian intellectuality.

Wandering around this town  In the place where the map is pined. Although our thoughts come rushing in heads, when we think of all the sights in Sighetu Marmatiei, the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and Resistance stands out, first of all because here one can still hear the silent cry of suffering endured by those who fell prey to the injustices of a dictatorial regime. Each cell of the former prison was arranged as a museum hall, describing chronologically or thematically the terror of the communist regime. In one of the memorial courtyards one can visit a Space of Recollection and Prayer, built in memory of the almost 8000 detainees who were taken to prisons, camps and deportation facilities in Romania. The museum houses several works of art that ennoble the space and amplify the deeply emotional experience that visitors to this place feel, the largest work being the statuary group called the "Sacrifice Procession" (Cortegiul Sacrificaților). The museum also includes the Cemetery of the Poor, where it is said that 54 detainees were buried. It is surrounded by fir trees laid out in the shape of Romania, and at the point where the town of Sighetu Marmației is found on this map, an altar-cenotaph has been erected, behind which a magnificent Byzantine-style cross was placed.  Among the gems of the Sighetu Marmației museum, we find the departments of the Maramureș Museum, an institution under the aegis of which are found some of the most interesting collections. No visitor to Maramureș can miss the opportunity to admire a true example of traditional local architecture, comprised of over 40 heritage objects exhibited in the Maramureș Village Museum. This experience must be completed by visiting the Ethnographic Museum of Maramureș, whose collections enrich the traditional image of the villages of Maramureș. The foray into the natural richness of the Maramureș Depression can be truly impressive, highlighted by the valuable exhibits of plants, vertebrates, fungi, minerals, rocks and fossils, found in the Department of Natural Sciences. We also suggest a time travel, which goes back to the Neolithic and is made possible by exploring the museum of the Department of History and Archeology. The next stop is the Department of History of Culture - Memorial - Art - Dr. Ioan Mihalyi de Apşa Museum House, right in the building where the great Romanian historian lived and created his work. Of course, we cannot forget the Museum of Jewish Culture and Civilization in Maramureș - Elie Wiesel Memorial House, and we invite you to cross the threshold of the house, where the famous novelist, playwright, essayist and memorialist and Nobel Peace Prize winner lived up to the age of 15. The Jewish cemetery, the largest of the 52 existing in Historic Maramureș, also reminds us of the Jewish culture. It houses tombstones that are hundreds of years old, as well as the famous Soap Monument, erected in memory of Jews who ended up in Nazi extermination camps. We know that many of the sites already proposed can be overwhelming, as only a cold-hearted person could remain indifferent to the torments of those times that are not long gone by, which is why we offer you some suggestions of recollection, in the most beautiful holy places in Sighetu Marmației. The Ukrainian Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Înălțarea Sfintei Cruci), the Piarist Monastery, the Church of the Assumption (Adormirea Maicii Domnului), the Reformed Church and the New Sephardic Synagogue are some of the centuries old places of worship that promise to take the burden of an unhealthy history off your shoulders and introduce you to the cultural and spiritual variety of the area.  A special place among the attractions of the city is held by architectural monuments which, however numerous, seem to be constantly competing for the tourist’s attention.  The Comitatens Court, Reduta Palace, Astra Cultural Palace, Szabó Aurel Palace, Caryatid House, the office of the Freemasonry Lodge, Darvay House, as well as the Pedagogical High School buildings, Dragoș Vodă, Leowey Klara and Taraș Sevcenko, are some of the architectural gems that combine styles, visions and many stories passed down through the hourglass of time. When the mist of current threats ceases to overwhelm us, you will be able to fully enjoy the cultural life of Sighetu Marmației, which boasts two fairytale-like festivals. The "Aeternus Maramorosiensis" Ancient and Medieval Festival reproduce an ancestral atmosphere, through a varied program, including pyrotechnic performances, concerts, competitions and exhibitions. The second event with tradition here is the "Marmaţia" Festival of Winter Traditions and Customs, a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the way Maramureș locals prepare for, feel and enjoy the most beautiful holiday season of the year.   After all these experiences, we want to end in a happy register and we invite you to see with your own eyes the nail on which the map hangs, a monument about two meters high, which plastically reproduces the reputation of Sighetu Marmației, known as "the place where the map hangs from the pin"„locul în care se agață harta-n cui”.. If you have stayed by our side this far, all we have to do is tell you that hosting guests suits us best and the traveler should be well on his way. In other words, we look forward to seeing you!