Church & monasteryMaramureș & Bukovina

The wooden church of Bârsana: a UNESCO gem of Maramureș

The wooden church of Bârsana, dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, is one of the eight wooden churches of Maramureș on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It stands in the Iza valley in northern Romania and is known for its two-level porch, its tall bell tower and some of the most coherent baroque interior painting in the region.

This UNESCO church has travelled twice: built in a place called the Monk’s Brook, it was carried down to the Iza valley and later into the village, each time onto the site of a cemetery.

WhereBârsana, Iza valley, Maramureș County, northern Romania

TypeWooden church of the early 18th century, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999

Best forBaroque church painting, wooden architecture and a Maramureș village day out

Getting thereIn the village of Bârsana; Budești Josani church is about 13 km away and Desești about 16 km

The history of the wooden church of Bârsana

The church was built in the early 18th century, in the years after a great plague. According to the Romanian account, it was raised in 1711 at a place called Părul Călugărului, the Monk’s Brook, by a noble priest named Ioan Ștefanca, together with his sons and other villagers, to thank God for protection during the plague of the previous year. It was then a Greek-Catholic church, that is, one of the Eastern rite in union with Rome, and its feast is the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple. Sources disagree slightly on the year of construction, so it is safest to say the early 18th century.

The building did not stay where it was first built. Around 1739 it was moved to the Iza valley, onto the site of a cemetery that had appeared after the fighting with the Tatars in 1717. Around 1795 it was moved a second time, into the village, into the middle of a cemetery formed by victims of the smaller plague of 1742 or of later years. Moving a timber church by taking it apart and putting it together again was an accepted practice in Maramureș, and the church shows how flexible this building tradition was. Today it stands on the hill called Jbâr and should not be confused with the newer wooden church of the Orthodox Bârsana Monastery, built in 1993, which is a different building.

The church is made of logs joined in the log-house technique, with a rectangular plan and a polygonal altar apse set slightly back. The double eaves carry a bell tower over the porch area, with an open, projecting bell chamber on arcaded posts and a tall pyramidal roof. Later the two-level porch was added on the west side, with arches on carved posts and openwork parapets, and the windows were enlarged. In 1929 the windows flanking the door between the nave and the porch were cut. Inside, the vault has a polygonal section and rests on brackets, unlike the half-cylindrical vaults found more often.

The most celebrated feature is the painting. In 1806 the interior was repainted by Toader Hodor from Vișeu de Mijloc, an artist influenced by baroque and rococo art, whose presence in Maramureș is recorded in a few churches of the lower Iza valley and neighbouring villages in the early 19th century. He painted on canvas fixed to the wooden walls. In the nave the scenes show the Book of Genesis in 20 episodes and the Passion in 18; the porch once carried the Last Judgement, of which only a small fragment survives. Painting, iconostasis and furniture follow one baroque plan, and the interior was inscribed on the UNESCO list in December 1999 together with seven other wooden churches of the county.

Curiosities about the Bârsana wooden church

The church was moved twice, around 1739 to the Iza valley and around 1795 into the village, and each time it was placed on the site of a cemetery.
It is said to have been built as a thanksgiving, after the great plague of 1710, by the noble priest Ioan Ștefanca with his sons and fellow villagers.
The vault of the nave is polygonal and rests on brackets, which is unusual compared with the half-cylindrical vaults normally found in wooden churches.
The nave paintings show 20 episodes of Genesis next to 18 episodes of the Passion, a parallel between the Old Testament and the sufferings of Christ.
The deacons’ doors of the iconostasis are cut in the shape of the figures of the archangels Michael and Gabriel, and the royal doors are pierced with curling vines.
The church has no electricity. Its movable heritage, including glass icons and old religious books, has been restored and is kept in the museum of the Bârsana Monastery.

Tours near Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple in Bârsana

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

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Visiting the Bârsana wooden church: what to see

From outside, look for the double eaves, the tall pyramidal tower and the two-level porch with arches on carved posts.
Inside, the 1806 murals by Toader Hodor are the main reason to go: Genesis and the Passion in the nave, and the Coronation of the Virgin in the altar vault.
The church should not be confused with the nearby new wooden church of Bârsana Monastery. This guide is about the old church.
Other wooden churches are within a short drive: Budești Josani about 13 km, Desești about 16 km and Ieud about 21 km. The Săpânța-Peri Monastery is about 32 km away.
The church has no electricity, so light inside can be limited. Check the current opening hours before you go.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple in Bârsana is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple in Bârsana

Questions

Where is the wooden church of Bârsana?

It is in the village of Bârsana, on the Iza valley in Maramureș County, northern Romania. It lies on the hill called Jbâr.

Is the Bârsana wooden church a UNESCO site?

Yes. It is one of eight wooden churches of Maramureș inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in December 1999.

When was the Bârsana church built?

In the early 18th century. Romanian sources give 1711 while an English source gives 1720, so the exact year is uncertain.

Is this the church of Bârsana Monastery?

No. The Orthodox Bârsana Monastery has a newer wooden church built in 1993. The UNESCO church is the old church of the earlier monastery, dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple.

Who painted the interior of the Bârsana church?

Toader Hodor from Vișeu de Mijloc painted it in 1806, in a style influenced by baroque and rococo art.

What can you see near the Bârsana church?

The wooden churches of Budești Josani (about 13 km), Desești (16 km) and Ieud (21 km) are close by, and the Săpânța-Peri Monastery is about 32 km away.