Proceedings e report - Firenze University Press

ROMANIAN ARCHITECTURAL WOODEN CULTURAL HERITAGE – THE PRESENT STATUS - A SURVEY
From the Middle Ages until the turn of the 18th century the skills, knowledge and experience to build
ample log structures with plane and well sealed walls, as well as with flush joints, were performances
out of the ordinary. The craftsmen from Maramureş who were able to reach such levels were not
simple peasants but well specialised church carpenters who inherited and maintained this advanced
knowledge to exclusively build houses of worship. Since the local tradition to erect wooden churches
depended on those who built and used them, it is fundamental to identify the local builders and
founders. The earlier blurred distinction between them veiled their separate roles in shaping the
wooden churches and hindered us from a clear understanding of the results. The extant wooden
churches from Maramureş reveal the existence during the 17th and 18th centuries of at least two main
family schools of church carpenters. There are further distinguishable three main itineraries and
numerous smaller ones, indicating the work of some of the most important church carpenters ever
active in the region and in some cases even shifts among generations. In general, the church carpenters
stood for the technical performances, the high quality of the wood work and the artistic refinement. In
a long perspective, the true creators of the local wooden churches were actually the commissioning
founders. Especially the role of the noble founders of Eastern Christian rite was decisive in the
formation of a regional character among the local wooden churches. The wooden churches from
Maramureş closely mirror the local society of modest country landlords, manifesting themselves along
several centuries in their double condition of Eastern Christians and Western nobles.
The wooden churches from Maramureş open necessary connections with similar performances
throughout Europe. Seemingly the local distinction made between sacred and profane rooms was
characteristic for many other rural regions on the continent. The highest knowledge in log building
seems to have had a sacred purpose with wide continental circulation and therefore in many places
requires distinction from the more regionally rooted vernacular one. The most elaborate structures of
the Maramures-region are the wooden churches, mostly built during the eighteenth century when this
Gothic-inspired architecture reached its height. Originally founded upon huge blocks of wood rather
than stone, they rear up into fairytale spires or couch beneath humpbacked roofs, and are generally
sited on the highest ground in the village to escape seasonal mud. These churches are outstanding
examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and areas. They show the variety
of designs and craftsmanship adopted in these narrow, high, timber constructions with their
characteristic tall, slim clock towers at the western end of the building, either single- or double-roofed
and covered by shingles. As such, they are a particular vernacular expression of the cultural landscape
of this mountainous area of northern Romania. 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 Maramures wooden churches represent the beautiful synthesis of the major architectural elements
of Eastern and Western Europe, more precisely a synthesis of the Byzantine plan and the Gothic forms
rendered according to an original autochthonous architectural interpretation. The constructions are
made out of wood, in conformity with the Blockbau system, according to the traditional technique,
which denotes a perfect knowledge of the material. They represent a particular type of construction in
the context of the wooden churches of Romania, implicitly of Europe, by:
- the higher naos, and pronaos (and porch, if any), which involved the emergence of the double roof,
resulting in a larger church;
- the naos topped with a bell tower; here the Gothic influence is obvious, while technically this
original solution is remarkable; the largeness and artistry of this architectural form have given to the
churches an unmistakable outline. The intricate structure is remarkable, as every element has a double
role, constructive and decorative. The sizing denotes a sure sense of proportions; the inner space is
conceived at a human scale, while resting imposing. The interior painting, the cult objects, heighten
this effect. The double roof, the horizontal lines of the registers, are new elements that have
considerably changed the architecture of the façades. Like the bell tower, that defies the laws of
statics, they give to the church a dynamism challenging the robustness and stability of the base.
All these elements converge towards the impressive monumentality of these churches, considered to
be true wooden cathedrals.
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