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Barsana Church |
Surdesti Church |
The Wooden Church of
Maramures
The wooden
churches are a distinct feature of Maramures. Here the natives' woodcarving
talent shows up in a display of beauty and creativity. These churches are built
in the 17th and 18th centuries without the help of any iron nails, yet reach
impressive heights. In fact, here you will find the highest wooden building in
Europe (some say in the entire world) - the church of Surdesti, reaching 72 m
(236 ft).
The most
beautiful wooden churches can be seen in a one day tour by car, from the towns
of Sighetul Marmatiei or Baia Mare. Every village in Maramures has a cozy church
of itself.
The
oldest church in Maramures (1638) and one of the most beautiful is from Ieud
village
Barsana
church’s interior frescoes are similar to those of the painted monasteries of
Moldavia.
Surdesti
- the highest one of all. Notice the four small towers surrounding the main and
highest one. This means that the local authorities, at the old time,
had the right to sentence the criminals to death, quite an unusual
privilege for such a small settlement.
Calinesti,
Sarbi, Budesti and Sugatag, all on a picturesque river valley, show
variations in the architecture, to suit the needs of each village. Particularly
interesting is Calinesti, which displays a peculiar L shape. The church in
Budesti holds an armour of a famous local hero, an outlaw called Pintea
"The Brave". The legend says that he always escaped his chasers and
could only be killed with a silver bullet.
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