**5.2 Heritage A**

## *5.2.1 The wooden church of "Saints Apostles Peter and Paul" from Poiana Botizii*

Historically dated to the 19th century

Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04515

Local sources relate that, in the northernmost village of Lăpuș Land, in the village of Poiana Botizii, at the foot of the mountains, in 1809 the construction of a new wooden church began on the old existing place, on the same spot where the old church was cremated. In 1819, when the building works were completed, the sanctuary was consecrated, receiving the patron saint of *"Saints Apostles Peter and Paul".* In 1906 began the painting works on the interior walls, were entirely funded by the local community. The new church, however, proved to be too small, which is why in 1920 an addition-extension was built. Subsequently, consolidation works

**Figure 2.** *Indoor painting – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Rogoz.*

#### *Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

took place. In 1974, a period of major modernization in that area, electric lights were introduced, which continue to function until today (**Figure 3**).

Located on top of a hill overlooking the village, surrounded by the cemetery, the church is an imposing presence, with a length of about 17 m and a width of about 5 m. It is built of oak wood, following a ship-type plan, with beams joined in a dovetail. The wooden soles are placed on stone vaults, which form a solid foundation. The upper beams, by extension, form consoles, on which a hipped roof is placed, covered with *draniță*. Through the additional extension – the awning that was intended as a place of entry – will become a narthex. This greatly increases the nave while the altar remains at its original dimensions. Above the nave, in the middle of the roof, rises the tower formed by a single plank section. Currently, the church is in good condition, but if no measures are taken, the wood caries will start working because winters with high frosts have been replaced with mild winters, without snow, which led to the formation of cavities in certain parts of the building material.

## *5.2.2 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Stoiceni*

Historically dated to the 18th–19th century Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04754

The exact date of construction of this church remains uncertain. There are some sources declaring its construction around 1860 while other sources send us far behind, in the eighteenth century. This church is built on top of a hill, from where one can see the Stoiceni village. Local sources and tradition tell us that it was built on the site of a previous church (it is unknown why it was replaced), but the initial *Holy Mass* was preserved. It follows the planimetry used at that time and in that geographical area, namely porch, narthex, nave, and polygonal altar. The entrance portal has a massive frame. The narthex is separated from the nave by a wooden wall with two openings with cut arches. The portal of the passage door is painted with floral motifs. In the nave, we find an inscription with Latin spelling that dates back to 1872, when the interior painting was executed. Saints and Martyrs are

**Figure 3.** *Indoor painting – wooden church of "Saints Apostles Peter and Paul" from Poiana Botizii.*

#### *Heritage - New Paradigm*

painted in the narthex, according to tradition, and the scenes of *The seven-headed dragon* and *Death with Adam's head and shins*. On the walls of the nave, we find biblical faces and scenes: *Adam and Eva in Heaven*, scenes from the Passions (**Figure 4**). The half vault and the vault are painted with faces: *Saint Mary*, *Saint Alexander*, *Saint John*, and the *Evangelists* (**Figure 5**).

The hierarchs and *The Last Supper* are depicted on the altar.

The interior painting is in very good condition, taking into account the normal aging. Perhaps one reason for this good preservation would be the fact that the

#### **Figure 4.**

*Adam and Eva in the garden of haven – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Stoiceni.*

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

roof is covered with galvanized metal sheets, which led to better protection of the interior environment. One other hypothesis would be the geographical location. The bell tower rises above the roof. Unlike the body of the church, the tower is covered with *draniță*. If the roof would be rebuilt to include the original roofing stile (*draniță)*, perhaps it might have a chance of a superior heritage framing.

Outside the church, the Mass of the Elders is still preserved.

#### *5.2.3 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Ungureni*

Historically dated to the 18th century Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04788

"*When it was vlet from Christ 1782 made this church the ununited*" is engraved inside the church, above the entrance door leading to the narthex. It is a mediumsized church, also placed on a hill, in the center of a village spread over a considerably large area. The planimetry is the most common, with a narthex, nave, altar, and an entrance located on the western side of the narthex. It is built of massive ash wood beams. The beams at the top form consoles with rich ornamentation at the ends. The narthex is ceilinged (it has a built-in ceiling) and the nave and narthex have a semi-cylindrical vault. The interior of the church has been painted in its entirety. There are no historical data regarding the master painter, who remains unknown until today. The church is altogether well preserved, even if the painting is quite altered, to the point of being entirely erased in many places. Its state of conservation is mostly due to its maintenance and attentive care paid by the local community (**Figure 6**).

#### *5.2.4 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Vima Mică*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04795

The architectural peculiarities of this church place its foundation in the second part of the 18th century. It is located on a beautiful plateau inside the village of

Vima Mică. The *Cross of Jerusalem* is carved around the entrance door to greet the parishioners. Inside, we can read the inscription from 1854 with the announcement that the roof was "shingled". It consists of narthex, nave, and altar. The bell tower has a frustoconical helmet that ends at the top with a cross with three arms and a crescent. The roof has two more small towers. The painting inside is of extraordinary beauty, in light blue tones, which gives it a unique value. In 1902 an unknown painter partially restored the painting (according to local sources). At the entrance to the narthex, we are greeted by the *Tree of Life* and an old chest above which is painted a scene that urges you to reflect: *Jacob's dream* (**Figure 7**).

The door is also decorated in a special style. The scenes from Passion on the western wall are very well preserved compared to the opposite wall and vault where the painting shows signs of deterioration. When passing between the nave and the narthex, the walls at the joint is in a severe degradation state, which gradually led to the alteration of the painting. The intact painted scenes appear clearly and have a high chance to be saved for perpetuity (**Figure 8**). There is a file pending for the rehabilitation of the church. The wooden structure and the roof are to be rebuilt and consolidated.

#### **Figure 7.**

*Jacob's dream – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Vima Mică.*

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

*5.2.5 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Răzoare*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04610

The church is located at the base of a hill, with the northern wing very close to the slope with vegetation. Several sources and hypotheses place its foundation before 1730. Other sources speak of the initial construction somewhere on the bank of the Lăpuș river, in 1759 being relocated to its current location. Writings found indoors mention this year as the year the interior walls were painted. The church has a porch from where we enter the narthex, nave, and altar. The porch is supported on three pillars attached to the crown. The most important exterior decoration of the church is represented by the geometric motifs found on the porch structure. The entrance door to the church has an ingeniously worked wooden lock. The roof has a bell tower, which has a gazebo over which is placed the roof with a square base, rounded to the top, flanked by four turrets with a gazebo, and simple crosses finished with crescents. The wooden interior proves the mastery of the craftsman who remains unknown.

The painter *"Petre Diul (Deacon, n.n.) from Preluca",* signed the royal doors in 1759, which is why the interior painting is also attributed to him. Unfortunately, the state of advanced degradation of the painting does not give us an optimistic image of the future of this church. The careful care of the caretakers will not solve the severe degradation state that affects the wooden structure, with serious damage to the altar, while the hardly visible painting left has a great chance to be lost under the patina of time.

The entrance to the underground galleries of a non-ferrous mine use to be at a very short distance from the church. We hypothesize that the long years of mining exploitation, with heavy traffic and underground works, weakened the wooden structure of the church, which implicitly led to the deterioration of the indoor painting (**Figure 9**).

#### *5.2.6 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Libotin*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04596;

Entering through a wooden gate specific to this northern part of the country, we encounter the wooden church located in a beautiful garden that also serves as a cemetery. A fading inscription on the door places it back to 1671. There are local sources that speak of it having been built in 1761, but others show that it was erected in 1811. However the case, the villagers support the story passed down from generation to generation that it was brought to Libotin from Remetea Chioarului. This seems to be a very plausible scenario, the transshipment of an old construction being a normal habit in those times. This scenario would also be supported by the fact that it is a small, ship-shaped structure, made of elmwood. The roof is covered with *draniță,* feature that we find to be a symbol of the area. The entrance is made through a door enclosed in a wide frame carved with crosses. The roof rests on short beams, decorated on the outside by rounding. The entrance is made through the south side.

The bell tower, located above the narthex, has a square shape, with a gallery and a planked railing, with the lower ends of the planks decorated with heart motifs, a symbol of eternal love. The tower has a pyramidal steeple, which ends with a simple metal cross resting on an onion-shaped bulb. The frame of the entrance portal to the narthex is decorated with the trefoiled cross motif, repeated on the vertical pillars of the door.

**Figure 9.** *Indoor painting – Iconostas – wooden church of "Saints* **Archangels** *Michael and Gabriel" from Răzoare.*

The interior walls of the church preserve the old painting that presents biblical scenes. The semi-cylindrical vault of the apse and the ceiling of the narthex have been restored, and the semi-cylindrical vault of the nave presenting a restored representation of the first chapters of *Genesis* and the *Ascension of Elijah* (**Figure 10).** This church had the benefit of having its painting restored. Amongst its painting, we can find a unique representation of *Saint Christopher*, that few people are aware of **Figure 11**.

#### *5.2.7 The wooden church of "Saint Dimitrie" from Larga*

Historically dated to the 19th century

Official registration Cod LMI:: MM-II-m-A-04594;

The wooden church from Larga village is located on a hill surrounded by the old cemetery, with a wide glade at its base. Probably hence came the name of the village (Larga – tr. wide). Above the entrance one can see the following Cyrillic inscription from 1802: *"The village priest with his wife Paladie today 1802 in the days of the exalted emperor Francis I* (Francis II 1792-1806, Francis I of Austria, 1804-1835, n.n.)*… when I made it … "*. It was, however, consecrated only in 1816. Similar to previously described wooden churches, it has the entrance on the south side of the narthex, then the nave and altar. The hipped roof is also covered with *draniță*. The bell tower has a gazebo and a balcony, and the helmet has pentagonal eaves. The frame of the entrance door to the church is entirely covered with decorative patterns. Although the painting is damaged, one can still see its beauty and value in areas that have escaped the weathering. In the narthex, one can find the Cyrillic inscription attesting that it was painted by Gheorghe Opriș. On the western wall of the narthex, there is a painting of the *Wheel of Life*, guarded by the Sun and the

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

**Figure 10.** *Indoor painting – Libotin's wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel".*

**Figure 11.** *Saint Hristofor – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel " from Libotin.*

#### *Heritage - New Paradigm*

Moon, while on the eastern wall is represented the *Last Judgment* and the cycle of the *Wise Virgins* and the *Mad Virgins* (**Figure 12**).

The northern wall of the nave is painted with saints in vaulted frames and scenes from the New Testament and the Passion. The iconostasis is in an advanced state of degradation, yet the faces of *St. Anthony* and *St. Euthymius* can still be identified. The altar preserved some scenes and figures of saints but equally degraded. The face of a Saint with a cross stands out on the southern wall, through the altered painting (**Figure 13**).

**Figure 12.** *The wheel of life – wooden church of "Saint Dimitrie" from Larga.*

**Figure 13.** *Saint on the wall – the wooden church of "Saint Dimitrie" from Larga.*

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

*5.2.8 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Inău*

Historically dated to the 17th century

Official registration Cod MM-II-m-A-04589;

The wooden church from Inău village is located on a hill with a slight slope, between the hills that form the village. Some sources say that it was originally built in 1689 in Baia-Mare, from where it was bought by the villagers from Rus, and later moved to Inău. Other sources indicate the year 1778 as its foundation. It is a beautiful, robust construction including a porch, narthex, nave, and altar. The roof covered in *draniță* was completely rebuilt in 1940. The bell tower has a square base and a gallery, the helmet being largely extended and flanked by four turrets. The entrance door is made of two pieces, carved with honeycomb and rosette motifs in the background. At the junction of the two parts that make up the door, is carved a cross. At each part of the cross is written the name of the four Evangelists: *Mark, Luke, Matthew,* and *Joan*. The door portal surrounding the main door is decorated with broken lines, fir branches, honeycombs, the cross with two horizontal arms, semicircles, rosettes, and the tulip stem.

During the years of modernization, electricity was introduced, and the old wooden chandelier was now equipped with electric lights. Scenes such as *Heaven*, *Jesus Surrounded by the Apostles,* and scenes from the *Passion of Jesus* can hardly be identified in the narthex. The half-vault and vault of the nave represent evangelists and scenes such as *Holy Trinity*, *God surrounded by trumpeting angels*. Unfortunately, the painting has not been very well preserved, being almost entirely erased, and current environmental factors will not help to preserve it for the future (**Figure 14**).

**Figure 14.** *Narthex painting – wooden church of "Saint Archangels Michael and Gabriel " from Inău.*

## *5.2.9 The wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Drăghia*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod MM-II-m-A-04569;

The church was built in 1706 on a hill, surrounded by the cemetery, as it was the local custom. The ground it was built on belonged to the local Radu family. It had the opportunity to be rehabilitated as a structure (see chapter "*Cultural heritage of a three centuries-old wooden church*", Heritage Intech Open 2020). The entrance is through a massive wooden door located on the south side, that preserves the old wooden locking system with a two-piece metal key (see chapter "*The movable heritage*", Heritage New Paradigm 2021). It was built of solid oak beams, with the soles placed on a stone foundation. On one of the oak beams, to the left of the front door, is written the year of construction of the church: *"Anno 1706 D. 14 obrys*" (Year of the Lord 1706, October 14). On the royal doors is written the year it was painted: *"1797 This pomade was paid by Toma Opriș and his wife Marie and their sons Philip, Stephen and his sister Theodora Anisia. I painted Petre"*. It was executed by Petre Diacul from Preluca, but the weathering left serious marks on it. In the narthex, we find images of *Wise Virgins* and the *Mad Virgins*, *Myrrh-bearing Women*, and other biblical scenes. The Angel looks down at you from the painted ceiling (**Figure 15**). The door to the nave is painted (see the chapter "*A survey of physical parameters and natural radioactivity in the wooden church of "Archangels Michael and Gabriel" Drăghia*", Heritage Intech Open 2020). On the inner wall of the iconostasis is the well-preserved figure of the High Priest Melchizedek (**Figure 16**)**.**

Unfortunately, the inside painting is in an advanced state of degradation, despite all the maintenance efforts [26].

## *5.2.10 The wooden church "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Dobric*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod MM-II-m-A-04568;

The church is known by the locals as *The church on the hill,* for two reasons. Firstly, for the obvious reasons, it has been built on top of a hill, with a large cemetery around it. Secondly, because there is another wooden church in the same

**Figure 15.** *Angel – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Drăghia.*

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

#### **Figure 16.**

*High Priest Melchizedek-wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Drăghia.*

village, but in the valley. Limited information is available about de historical dating, just that is was sometime around the 18th century, maybe sooner.

It is a medium-sized construction, built of oak beams on a stone foundation. The entrance, without a porch, is made through the southern part directly in the narthex followed by the nave and the altar. A beautiful strip, with the rope of life carved in wood, surrounds the church. In 1930, the shingle roof was rebuilt with a *draniță,* covering an extension of the *Table of the Elders*. The church tower is covered with tin sheets. Indoor we can find a beautiful painting, relatively well preserved, with the framed faces of male and female Saints (**Figure 17**).

Entire scenes are preserved in both the narthex and the nave, such as the *Wheel of Life* and scenes inspired by Revelation (Apocalypse). The vault and the joint areas suffered bad weathering. The chances of conservation for this church remain uncertain (**Figure 18**).

#### *5.2.11 The wooden church of "Saint Elijah the prophet" from Cupșeni*

Historically dated to the 18th century

Official registration Cod LMI: MM-II-m-A-04562

The church, located like the others on a hill belonging to the village, has an uncertain historical date. Official data acknowledge it has existed since 1733. On the altar, we find a partially erased inscription announcing the historical dating of the painting:

#### **Figure 17.**

*Saint Paraskeva – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Dobric.*

#### **Figure 18.**

*The wheel of life and the Revelation (Apocalypse) – wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Dobric.*

*"This saint… too the high emperor… Francis first bishop… being… and prot… the ununited place John… 1823."* It is of medium-small dimensions, with a porch, narthex, nave, and altar. It stands out through the staircase that goes up to the tower, its steps being hollowed out in a single tree trunk. It is covered with wooden shingles, and the bell tower is massive and square-shaped. The interior painting in the narthex is almost completely destroyed, half of the ceiling and a wall has been rebuilt. In the altar, the

*Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105091*

**Figure 19.** *Iconostasis – wooden church of "Saint Elijah the prophet" from Cupșeni.*

painting is likewise compromised. The paintings of the apostles on the iconostasis are hardly preserved, showing an increasingly pale coloristic over time (**Figure 19**).

## **5.3 Heritage B**

A number of 14 wooden churches (**Table 1**) spread throughout the same geographical area also bring their heritage contribution. Presently there are only classified as being of local interest. The future might bring the chance, for some of them, to be ranked higher. Similar to those in heritage category A, they are built of


#### **Table 1.**

*With wooden churches Heritage B from L*ă*pu*ș *Land.*

**Figure 20.** *Inside painting – wooden church "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Jug*ă*streni.*

wood, keeping the same typical architecture. The date of construction is between the 18th and 20th centuries. They are located on plateaus or hills of the villages from Lăpușului Land. Being later put to use, they receive electricity and plastered indoor walls, which has led to better preservation over time. Some of them were painted on the inside plastered walls or on the wooden vaults, keeping with the spiritual charm of the area. An eloquent example is the painting, with a beautiful patina, from the wooden church of "Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel" from Jugăstreni (**Figure 20**).

At the same time, they had been fortunate with tin roofs. Many of them are still used as churches of worship, on Sundays and religious holidays over the year. This is also the reason why they have been equipped with heating systems by the parishes (**Table 1**).
