"The Council of the Elders"

One of the most appreciated tourist objectives of Maramureș is the Rooster’s Ridge Reserve. The formation of volcanic rocks, which have made their way to the surface in the high area of ​​the Gutâi Mountains and which from a distance resembles a rooster’s crest, reveals a beautiful panorama over the vast mixed forests and areas of juniper and mountain pastures. Extremely generous in terms of habitat, but also of activities and sports that can be practiced outdoor, the Rooster’s Ridge Reserve was, still is and will remain one of the favorite destinations of tourists visiting the county.

The road from Baia Mare to Sighetu Marmaţiei crosses the Gutâi Mountains, passing through the township of Deseşti. On these lands stands one of the most important churches of Maramureş, not far from the sources of the Mara River. Erected in 1717 - according to other sources, in 1770, on the site of an older one, this place of worship was dedicated to the Pious Paraschiva and was painted around 1780 by Radu Munteanu and Alexandru Ponehalschi. The architecture of the building is in line with that of the traditional churches of Maramureș, the harmony of its proportions strengthening the impression of simplicity and elegance, specific to these monuments. The upper beams that support the frame are carved in the shape of a ladder, giving the ensemble a special line. The layout of the place of worship comprises a rectangular main body - which, on the outside, resembles the layout of a hall-type church - which consists of a narthex and a nave, continued by the detached altar. The nave has a semi-cylindrical vault and double eaves. Above the ceilinged narthex rises the bell tower with a sharp coif, the entire architectural ensemble being supported on a stone pedestal. Access to the interior of the building is done through a portal inlaid with geometric and vegetal decorative motifs, but also with the element of the twisted rope, a symbol of Christian unity. The exceptionally well-preserved painting has undergone a complete restoration, giving the monument its original appearance. The iconographic themes of Deseşti are common to all churches with post-Byzantine paintings, but here they can be observed much more easily. The narthex develops the theme of the Last Judgment, and here - but also at Poienile Izei - the moralizing valences of this theme can be easily identified. If in the art of Byzantine tradition of previous centuries the main characters painted in Hell were heretics and persecuting emperors, here we can easily see how the theological valences of the scene diminish, carnal sins prevailing over faith sins. Thus, the one who steals land without respecting the border, the one who steals taking advantage of his job as a miller or merchant, or the one who destroys families, become the main characters in scenes that show us a Hell full of torture tools used in the Middle Ages. The value of the monument lies in its technical construction, in the perfect science of execution and assembly of wooden elements. The architectural harmony and the perfect integration of the wooden decorative elements with the iconographic ones created an ensemble of remarkable simplicity and elegance. 

Erected at the beginning of the 18th century, as a place of worship for an important monastic community, the current UNESCO heritage church was the cathedral of Bishop Gavriil of Maramureş. Born in Bârsana, the bishop patronized a monastery school and a book distribution center there. The events that have taken place in the last three hundred years on the Iza Valley have left their mark on the beams of the church in Bârsana, more than on other monuments.  At the end of the 18th century, the imperial court in Transylvania and Maramureş would impropriate the monastic properties and the close down of the monastic communities. This campaign directly affected the monastic community, which was forced to withdraw to Moldova. Left unprotected, the church would be saved by villagers, who dismantled it piece by piece and, around 1800, would rebuilt it on its current site. For a proper reassembly, the beams bear signs that can be admired today. Standing on a pedestal, the beams carved from large oak trunks - from which the walls were built - were joined at the corners in a "swallow's tail" pattern. For two hundred years, the church has been guarding the peace of the people of Maramureş, buried in the cemetery on Jbârului Hill, to the left of the road that starts from Sighetu Marmaţiei, along the Iza River. The layout of the church is rectangular, composed of four rooms: porch, narthex, nave and altar. The apsis of the altar has five sides, being covered with a simple roof. Above the other rooms of the worship place, the roof has two ridges, housing a balcony to the west. The ornaments and the manner in which the western façade is made are identical to those of the porches of traditional houses. The carved wooden decoration uses motifs common in Maramureş, such as the twisted rope or the solar disk. The whole church seems to be surrounded by a twisted girdle, discontinued by a circle-shaped solar motif. After moving to the village, it was painted by Toader Hondor and Ioan Plohod, the iconography of the monument being considered to be the best expression of Baroque and Rococo in folk painting, in this part of the country. The scenes are depicted within stylized medallions binding the entire iconographic ensemble. The impressive wooden church from Bârsana is an example of perfect stylistic unity and an impeccable artistic sense.