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- Dragomirna Monastery – Fortified SpiritualityThe Wooden Churches from Maramures – Orthodox GothicThe Trovants – Living StonesMarasesti Mausoleum – Honoring The SacrificeAgapia Monastery – Nature, Spirituality, ArtMysteries And Symbols In Romanian SculpturesSarmizegetusa Regia – The Heart of the Dacian KingdomTwo Sisters from Cluj-NapocaCraiova’s Art Museum – a Jewel Containing Other JewelsDecebalus Head at Mraconia – The Romanian Mount RushmoreCartisoara – The Memorial House of Badea CartanStavropoleos Monastery – Treasure Trove of Byzantine CultureBucharest Aviation Museum – Wings of HistoryRomanian Pyramids of Sona: Decebalus’ Tomb?Polovragi Cave Takes You Back in TimeThe Clock Museum from Ploiesti, RomaniaThe Cave From Romanesti – The Cave That RocksSighisoara Medieval FestivalCetatea Neamt – The Strongest Moldavian FortressThe Carpathians – A Cathartic ExperienceBanffy Bontida Medieval Castle – the Versailles of TransylvaniaUnseen Monasteries from Oltenia“George Enescu” Memorial HouseSapanta – The Merry CemeteryAdamclisi – Talking HistoryThe “B.P.Hasdeu“ Memorial MuseumThe Momarlani – A Special PeopleThe Berca Mud VolcanoesRasnov FortressLake Sfanta AnaFagaras FortressThe Palace of the Parliament in BucharestRomanian MotorcyclingTaking the Tour of BucharestThe Danube Delta – a wild land
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The Wooden Churches from Maramures – Orthodox Gothic
The Budesti Church is located on the Cosau Valley, 25 km South of Sighetu Marmatiei. It is larger than the other monuments, having a length of 18 m and a width of 8 m, but it preserves the regular proportions between its parts. The name “Budesti” is considered to have derived from “Bud’s relatives”, a figure mentioned in a document from 1361, when the Hungarian king Louis the Great exercised suzerainty over Maramures. The Church is dedicated to Saint Nicoara, an early Transylvan version of Saint Nicholas.
The interior decorations include some icons, painted on both sides and named “prasnicare”. The bell tower distinguishes itself among other similar constructions through its four smaller towers, placed on top. The Budesti Church which is included in the UNESCO heritage is situated in that part of the village called Budesti Josani (Lower Budesti), while there is another smaller wooden church in the other area, called Budesti Susani (Upper Budesti).
For a long time, the Ieud Deal Church was considered the oldest religious building in Maramures, as it was supposed to have been built at around 1360. Some researches revealed however, that the present church dates from the XVIIth century and that the older one was burnt completely during a Tatar invasion. The simplicity of its exterior is compensated by the interior decorations that cover the walls entirely. The paintings are related to one another and they were the work of Alexandru Ponehalschi, who employed a mixture of Byzantine traditions, folklore themes and Western Baroque influences.
The Surdesti Church is located 18 km far from Baia Mare and it is one of the tallest wooden churches in Europe, as it stands 72 m tall (the bell tower has a height of 54 m). It is dedicate to the Holy Archangels and it was built in 1766 on a stone foundation.
The Plopis Church is situated in the Cavnic Valley, 15 far from Baia Mare and it was built between 1796 and 1798. Its interior paintings were executed by Stefan of Sisesti in 1811, but only a few of them have been preserved until present times, the rest having been restored. Its distinct features are the walls provided with two lines of windows, in order to better illuminate the interiors, and the vaulted roof, the only one of this kind among the monuments from Maramures.
The Rogoz Church is situated 50 km far from Baia Mare and is dedicated to Saint Parascheva. It was built around 1663, after a ravaging Tatar invasion destroyed an older church. The monument is unique through the brackets that support the roof, carved into the shape of horse heads. The characteristics of the previous churches are not entirely observed in this case: the building is not rectangular, as its Western end is polygonal and the roof is wide and asymmetric.
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