Places

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.

Made in 1672 from fir wood on a stone foundation, the church is a small one, with an open porch, a narthex over which rises the tower, nave and altar. From the original painting of the interior walls, but also from the one that replaced it, made in 1871, only fragments are preserved today. The uniqueness of the edifice is given by the shape of the altar, the church being the only one in our county that has a polygonal altar, with six outer sides.

The wooden church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" from Călinești Susani was erected in 1758, unusual among the wooden churches of Maramureș, its forms rather revealing Moldavian influences. The interior still preserves some fragments of the murals made in 1788. 

The wooden church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from Șieu dates from around 1717-1720, but it underwent several restoration stages in the middle of the 18th century, in the first half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th  century. Some elements from the original construction have been preserved: the structure of the walls at the bottom, the old altarpieces, the openings in the interior consoles, fragments of a shutter window, the entrance to the porch and narthex, but also some old royal icons.

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 

Erected in 1699 in Vişeul de Jos, the "Pious Paraschiva" wooden church was offered to the people living in Botiza in 1899. The building is a good example of a classic Maramureș church, the roof having a double skirt. Also, the door frame at the entrance is decorated similar to the Maramureș gates, while the rope carved in wood surrounds the church.

Made of oak wood around 1639, the "Pios Paraschiva" wooden church from Sârbi Susani reveals through the shape of the roof and the passage to the sacred part, some of the most archaic features found in the Romanian sacred wooden architecture. The entrance portal, which is believed to evoke a Byzantine calendar, has survived, offering invaluable value to the church.  *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The "Pious Paraschiva" wooden church in the village of Șugatag was built of oak wood and dates from 1698-1699. The proportions of the ensemble, the double-skirted roof above the narthex and nave and with single eaves above the altar, the tower with the turret protruding from the basic profile and an elongated coif with eight sides are just a few elements that include this place of worship in the typology of Maramureș wooden churches. The exterior walls are decorated with the motif of the rope, while inside only fragments of the painting that adorns the walls can still be seen.

Built of oak wood in the 17th century, the "Pious Paraschiva" wooden church from Valea Stejarului is, due to its proportions, a classic Maramureș church. Inside, the paintings specific to Byzantine iconography, made on canvas, are preserved only in a small part. However, inside the building there are several valuable objects, such as: icons, ritual books, the triptych or the medallions on the royal doors. Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The oldest building that enriches the patrimony of the Maramureș Village Museum is the church, relocated here from Oncești, where it had been brought from the village of Criciova, on the right bank of the Tisza River. The archaic features of the building are highlighted by small windows, the joined two-level structure and the presence of a royal and a deacon's door. The 16th century wall paintings were restored in 1802.

The church dedicated to the "Ascension of the Lord" was built of wood, in 1992, according to the architectural specifics of the Maramureș churches. The cross-shaped place of worship has a narthex, nave and altar, being covered with shingles and having a tower with a long coif on top. Inside, the magnificent edifice houses an iconostasis carved in oak and adorned with Byzantine icons.

The Ukrainian wooden church "Ascension of the Lord" in Poienile de sub Munte dates from around 1788-1798. Its architecture combines two styles, that of Maramureș and one with Ruthenian influence: the bell-shaped roof, but also the wide row of eaves. At the same time, the church also surprises with its positioning, as it is located on a straight piece of land, in the middle of an open courtyard.

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.

The wooden church "The birth of the Virgin Mary" from Călinești Căieni was made in 1663 from oak wood and later on, in the 19th century, was extended using fir wood. The interior of the church stands out through the set of murals made by Alexandru Ponehalschi.

A place of worship which was declared a historical monument, this wooden church dedicated to the birth of the Virgin Mary in Hărnicești was dendrochronologically dated around 1679, having a rectangular layout and a multi-storey roof on the sides. Its proportions make it unusual, given that the roof measures ten meters and the tower only nine. Outside, the church is surrounded by a carved belt, while only a few fragments of the interior painting survive. *Photo credit:  CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

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

According to the archives, the wooden church "The birth of the Virgin Mary " from Ieud Vale dates from around 1710, while according to the folk tradition it dates back to 1717. The church is surprising in size, being one of the largest wooden constructions in Romania. Another interesting aspect is the legend surrounding its construction, to which it is said that the famous outlaw Pintea the Brave contributed with a bag full of gold. Unfortunately, the painting on the interior walls was largely destroyed. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

"The Birth of the Virgin Mary" wooden church from Rona de Jos is said to have been built between 1634 and 1644, a fact confirmed by the old church bell, dated 1637 and which was moved to the new church in the village. The edifice is also called the "church with eyes", due to the porch in which eye-shaped openings were cut. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

Some sources say about the "Saint Nicholas" wooden church from Bogdan Vodă that it was erected in 1718, on the site of the old church burned by the Tartars, while others mention the year 1754. It is notable for its position, being located in the middle of the village, within the cemetery, and not on the hills, as most of the churches in Maramureș. Another essential feature of the historic monument is its simplicity, the only decorative element of the exterior walls being the carved twisted rope, which surrounds the entire building.  *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

Erected in 1760, the wooden church "Saint Nicholas" from Budești Susani is atypical due to its proportions, its narthex being expanded in the 19th century. At the same time, according to the inscriptions on the church doors, the iconostasis is older than the building itself, dating back to 1628. The holy doors preserve paintings in which the influence of Moldovan art can be found. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Karin Lachner

The wooden church "Saint Nicholas" from Cornești dates from 1615, yet dendrochronological research has revealed that the altar was built a century later. It is a classic Maramureș church, first of all because of the two skirts of the roof. The interior is decorated with canvas paintings plastered on wooden walls.

The wooden church "Saint Nicholas" from Ferești dates from 1798, being built of oak beams. Although its interior is dimly lit, the space surprises with the vivid colors of the paintings that decorate the walls, which went through a restoration process in the first half of the 19th century. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

There are several opinions on the history of the wooden church dedicated to "Saint Nicholas", located in the center of Glod. According to some, it was built around 1700, other opinions placing the building of the church around 1784. The place with Moldavian influences keeps in the altar fragments of the mural painting that is supposed to be the work of the painter Ianoș Opriș. In the patrimony of the church there are extremely valuable icons on wood and glass, crosses, furniture and books. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

The wooden church "Saint Nicholas" is said to have been rebuilt in 1724, after being destroyed by the Tartar invasion in 1717. It differs from other wooden churches in Maramureș due to the large size of the porch, which is storied and expended, but also due to the positioning of the tower in the middle of the building. The interior of the shrine only has preserved a very small part of the original painting. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

The wooden church "Saint Nicholas" from Săliștea de Sus, Nistorești, was built of fir wood in 1680 and is currently on the new list of historical monuments. The roof of the building has a double skirt, while the apsis of the altar is rectangular. Inside the church, the mural is partially preserved, and some of the icons can be included in the work of the painter Alexandru Ponehalschi.  *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

The wooden church "Saint Nicholas" from Sârbi Josani was erected around 1685 from oak on a carved stone foundation. The place belongs to the typology of the Maramureș churches, having a specific partition. The interior of the church still preserves some very old wooden icons, two of them bearing the imprint of the church pilgrim painter, Radu Munteanu. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels" in the village of Mănăstirea was erected in the 17th century. The oak building has a closed porch, above which rises a bell tower with a gallery and a conical coif. The interior of the church still has frescoes on wood dated 1783, while among the exterior walls, only the one at the entrance has been painted.  *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

Erected in the 17th century, the wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" was relocated to Strâmtura in 1661 from the Rozavlea monastery. The altar, the vault and the iconostasis have been preserved in their original form, while the interior painting dates from 1775. The place houses valuable objects such as "The Homiliary of Varlaam" and glass icons made in the 18th and 19th centuries.  *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Timur Chiș

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" in Hoteni was erected in 1790 in the village of Slatina in today's Ukraine, being moved to Hoteni after 1895. In 1942, the narthex of the rectangular building was extended to the west. The sanctuary has a double-skinned roof and an open turret tower, finished with a square-based coif. *Photo credit: CJCPCT „Liviu Borlan” Maramureș, Rada Pavel

The wooden church "The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Rozavlea dates back to 1717 and is built of fir wood and oak beams, in the style characteristic of the region. Except for the altar area, which is painted on canvas, the rest of the paintings inside the church were made on wood. The decoration of the interior walls is, for the most part, of a classical nature, with a few baroque elements.