The wooden church "Saint Paraschiva" from Deseşti
The wooden church "Saint Paraschiva" from Deseşti

The wooden church "Saint Paraschiva" from Deseşti

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice
09:00 - 17:00
Closed

Desești 437135, Romania

Map
0730 004 715

About

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. 

Statut

Patrimoniu UNESCO

Photo Gallery

Similar Suggestions

Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Izvorul Bătrâna Nature Reserve

The "Izvorul Bătrâna" hydro-geological reserve is a protected area established around the spring that has its starting point in the Bătrâna Valley. Here, the waters of the Măgura creek made their way through the rocky walls, giving rise to some particularly beautiful waterfalls. The protected area covers ​​half a hectare, and is located in the eastern part of the Rodna Mountains. 
Moisei, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Vlăşinescu Marshes Nature Reserve

Located within the Izvoare Plateau in the Gutâi-Igniș Mountains, the protected area overlaps the confluence of the Vlășinescu creek and river, giving rise to an area of ​​oligotrophic marshes, conducive to the development of flora and fauna specific to peat lands. Extremely generous, scientifically and in terms of scenery, the reserve is located at an altitude of 870 m, in a natural setting reminiscent of fairy tales.
Desesti, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Bavna Forest Nature Reserve

The Bavna Forest Reserve is a protected area where, over a wooded area, one finds special specimens of pedunculate oak, some of which are over 150 years old. During the summer time, rare migratory bird species, such as the gray heron, find shelter in this area. An equally impressive natural spectacle can be admired here in the spring time, when the snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) blooms, a species declared a monument of nature.
Miresu Mare, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Boiu Mare Cave Nature Reserve

Also known as "At the caves" ("La Peşteri"), the nature reserve is part of the Someșan Plateau, being located in the east of Boiu Mare Township. Spread over a length of 31m and an area of ​​0.5 hectares, the cave has an entrance elevation of 400 m. The natural habitat and the special cave fauna have determined authorities to declare it a protected area.
Boiu Mare 437060, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Bone Cave Nature Reserve

Located in the Lăpuș Mountains, at an altitude of 285 m, the Bone Cave is a natural area of ​​significant speleological importance. The fossil-cave, with a single entrance and a length of about 40 m, reveals several corridors, and galleries, but its special importance is given by the bones of herbivores and bears belonging to an extinct species, as well as the traces of habitation which were discovered here. Moreover, locals say that the cave would have served as a hiding place for the legendary outlaw, Pintea the Brave.
Poiana Botizii, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The "Răzvan Givulescu" Fossiliferous Reserve from Chiuzbaia

Discovered in the 18th century, the Chiuzbaia fossiliferous reserve was declared a protected area in 1954. It covers an area of ​​50 hectares and has fossiliferous remains of flora and fauna, which are approximately 6-10 million years old. These have been preserved in the diatomic shores of former lakes. The eight fossiliferous sites with plants include 55 families, from 107 genera and 240 species. The reserve is named after the professor who dedicated more than two decades of his life to its research.
Chiuzbaia 435101, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Piatra Rea Nature Reserve

The Piatra Rea scientific nature reserve is part of the Rodna Mountains National Park and is famous, in particular, due to the many specimens of edelweiss (lat. Leontopodium alpinum Cass) found here. The spectacular Horses Waterfall is also part of this Reserve.
Borșa, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Ilba Stone Rosette Nature Reserve

The Ilba geological, paleontological and landscape nature reserve covers an area of ​​half a hectare. Here, one can admire polygonal andesitic columns, arranged in the form of a rosette. Fossil remains of shells, ostracodes and snails have been identified in this quarry, discoveries that increase its attractiveness among paleontology enthusiasts. *Photo credit: Muzeul Județean de Mineralogie „Victor Gorduza” Baia Mare
Ilba, Romania
Atracție naturală Obiective turistice

The Sâlhoi - Zâmbroslaviile Rockery Nature Reserve

The protected area is included in the Maramureș Mountains Natural Park, and its importance is enhanced by the population of Cochlearia pyrenaica that it shelters, a floristic species protected by law. The botanical and geological reserve also surprises with its beautiful limestone cliffs.
Borsa, Romania