Travel to Romania

Day 4 Maramures wooden churches - Săpânța cementery – Moldovița - Gura Humorului (298 Km.)

Deseşti: We start the day's route with a visit to the church of St. Parascheva. It was built in 1770 and is one of the eight wooden churches in Maramureș declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This church is considered one of the characteristic monuments of the 18th century in Maramureș. Between 1996 and 1998, extensive restoration work was carried out on both the architecture and the mural painting, and the paintings inside include biblical themes, scenes from the Old and New Testament, and a vivid depiction of the Last Judgement in the pronaos. The church has a traditional cross shape, with a main nave and altar, as well as a pronaos and a bell tower.

(42 Km. away) Săpânța Merry Cemetery: The Săpânța Merry Cemetery, known locally as "Cimitirul Vesel" in Romanian, is characteristic for the colourful wooden crosses that adorn its tombs. They are richly carved and painted in vibrant colours such as blue, green, yellow and red. Each cross features scenes from the life of the deceased, often depicting joyful moments and details that reflect his or her personality. Unlike the solemnity commonly associated with cemeteries, the Săpânța Merry Cemetery takes a more positive and joyful approach to death. The graphic and poetic representations celebrate the life of the deceased rather than focusing on sadness.

(43 Km. away) Bârsana Monastery: El Mănăstirea Bârsana es un monasterio ortodoxo rumano ubicado en la comuna de Bârsana, en el condado de Maramureș. Las primeras referencias documentadas de mănăstire datan de 1390, mencionando un camino que se bifurca y lleva al pueblo de Bârsana y al monasterio. En documentos de propiedad de la familia noble Dragoș, entre 1408 y 1480, se menciona un "camp al mănăstirii". La iglesia original de madera, construida en 1711, fue reemplazada en 1993 por un nuevo conjunto monástico construido en madera según la tradición local, bajo la dirección del arquitecto Cordoș Dorel. El conjunto incluye una puerta típica de Maramureș, una torre con campanario, la iglesia (de 57 metros de altura), el altar de verano, las celdas de los monjes, la capilla, la casa de los maestros y el museo. El día de la festividad de la mănăstire es el 30 de junio, dedicado al "Soborul Sfinților 12 Apostoli", considerados los protectores del monasterio.

(20 Km. away) Leud: The wooden church "Nativity of the Virgin Mary" (Nașterea Maicii Domnului) in Leud Deal was built at the beginning of the 17th century. It is an ancient Greek-Catholic place of worship. In the attic of the church of Ieud, the Ieud Codices or Zbornicul de la Ieud were found in 1921, a document that aroused controversy and is considered by some historians to be the first Romanian writing. In its austere exterior, warmed inside by the carving of the consoles and the bright colours of the mural, the wooden church of Ieud Deal represents a peak of the art and technique of building wooden churches in Maramureș. The interior painting ensemble by the local painter Alexandru Ponehalschi stands out. The church was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999, along with seven other wooden churches in Maramureș.

(162 Km. away) Moldovița Monastery: We moved to the north-east of the country to visit the first of the painted churches in the region of Bucovina. The Moldovița Monastery is an outstanding monastery located in the north-eastern part of Romania, in the region of Bucovina. It was built in the late 15th century, specifically in 1532, during the reign of Prince Petru Rareș of Moldavia. This monastery is known for its Orthodox church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and is one of several painted monasteries in Bukovina, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most remarkable features of the Moldovița Monastery is the series of frescoes that decorate the exterior walls of the church.

These wall paintings depict biblical and religious scenes, and are known for their vibrant colours and the artistic skill of the painters of the time. One of the most famous panels in the exterior paintings is the 'Last Judgement', which depicts scenes from the Apocalypse, including heaven, hell and the resurrection of the dead. This fresco is a distinctive feature of several painted churches in Bukovina. Inside the church is an iconostasis carved in wood, which separates the sanctuary from the rest of the liturgical space. These iconostases are often intricately detailed and decorated with religious icons.

(31 Km. away) Gura Humorului: We spent a couple of days in this town, which is close to most of the famous painted churches of Bukovina.