Home Places The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Rogoz

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Rogoz

282, Rogoz 435611, Romania

About

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.

Statut

Patrimoniu UNESCO

Photo Gallery

Similar Suggestions

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Peteritea

The wooden church dedicated to the "Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Peteritea dates from the 18th century, and has a floor layout consisting of a porch supported by six pillars, narthex, nave and polygonal altar. The roof is made of shingles, and the coif of the bell tower is octagonal in shape, with a bulb cross at the top. The interior painting was most likely completed in 1900, when the church underwent an extensive restoration process. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Florin Pop

Peteritea 437384, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" from Lăpuş

The wooden church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" from Lăpuş dates back from1697, being built of ash wood on a stone foundation. The edifice was erected on a ship-type layout, with a turret with a conical spire. On the outside, the church has decorations on the walls and on the entrance portal, the predominant motifs being the honeycomb and the cenotaph crosses. Some fragments from the original painting can still be seen on the walls of the narthex and the nave.

Lăpuș 437175, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Libotin

The elm wood church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" in Libotin dates from 1671. It was originally erected in Remetea Chioarului, being relocated to Libotin in 1811. The edifice is small, shaped like a ship and has a square bell tower. With the exception of the apsis vault and the narthex ceiling, the interior of the church is entirely painted. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Florin Pop

Libotin 437132, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "Saint Dumitru" from Larga

The wooden church "Saint Dumitru" from Larga was erected in 1802, observing a standard layout, composed of narthex, nave and altar. The bell tower, whose coif has pentagonal eaves, rises above the four-sided roof. Inside there are fragments of the painting made by the painter Gheorghe Opriș. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș

Larga, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Jugăstreni

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Jugăstreni was erected between 1846-1866, and the well-known carpenter Horța contributed to its construction. The layout of this place of worship is the standard one, with a porch, narthex, nave and polygonal altar, while the roof is covered in sheet metal. Above it rises the bell tower with the octagonal coif. The painting made in 1866 inside the church has been preserved. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Florin Pop

Jugăstreni 437383, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "St. John the Evangelist" from Izvoarele

The wooden church "St. John the Evangelist" dates from 1803 and was built of oak wood, being originally located in the village of Fântânele, and later relocated to the village of Izvoarele, in 1926. Provided with a porch, narthex, nave and altar, the edifice has a roof made of beech shingles and a bell tower whose coif has an iron crescent moon cross on top. The interior walls were painted in 1998. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș

Izvoarele, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "Pious Paraschiva" from Izvoarele

Erected in 1928 from beech beams, the church "Pious Paraschiva" from Izvoarele is part of the classic category of churches with porch, narthex, nave and pentagonal altar. The exterior walls are covered with horizontally arranged paneling, while the interior walls are covered with plywood icons. The iconostasis of the edifice was brought from an old wooden church in Făurești. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș

Izvoarele, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Inău

Dated in 1689, the wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" was originally erected, according to some sources, in Rus and then moved to Inău in 1778, when the interior walls were decorated with paintings by the master painter Palcovici Mihai. The place preserves the typology of the Maramureș churches, having a porch, narthex, nave and polygonal altar. The roof of the church was rebuilt in 1940. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș

Inău, Romania

Biserica de lemn Obiective turistice

Biserica de lemn „Sfinţii Apostoli” din Groape

Biserica de lemn „Sfinţii Apostoli” din Groape datează din anul 1830 și a fost ridicată inițial în satul Măgureni, fiind strămutată în Groape în jurul anului 1900. Planimetria lăcașului este cea frecventă, având pridvor, pronaos, naos şi altar poligonal decroşat. Atât la exterior cât și la interior pereții sunt tencuiți, fiind pictați doar la nivelul tavanului din pronaos şi a bolţii din naos şi altar. Peste acoperișul din șindrilă a fost pusă tablă de aluminiu, în anul 2009. *Sursă foto: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Florin Pop

Groape, Romania