ISSN 11222211–11227733, E-ISSN 22006655–33440099 Article no. 222211111144–557777 [617055]

AAnnaalleellee UUnniivveerrssiittăățțiiii ddiinn OOrraaddeeaa,, SSeerriiaa GGeeooggrraaffiiee Year XXXXIIII, no. 11//22001122 (June), pp. 113377 – 114444
ISSN 11222211–11227733, E-ISSN 22006655–33440099 Article no. 222211111144–557777

http://istgeorelint.uoradea. ro/Reviste/Anale/anale.htm

TYPOLOGICAL ASPECTS CONCERNING
THE WOODEN CHURCHES OF THE SILVANIEI LAND

ȘȘtteeffaann BBAAIIAASS
University of Oradea, Depart ment of Geography, Tourism and Territorial Planning – TSAC,
1 University St., 410087, Oradea, Romania, e-mail: [anonimizat]

Abstract: Using a specific methodology, quantified in specialized literature, a diagnostic
analysis of 22 wooden churches from an area situated at the contact of Cri șana, Maramure ș
and Transylvania has been conducted. The prospected elements have been analyzed from a
quantitative, qualitative, structural and typol ogical point of view. The result allows an
understanding connected to the territorial reality of one of the most valuable wooden
architectural heritage elements of Romania.

Key words: cultural heritage, wooden church, Silvaniei Land

* * * * * *

INTRODUCTION
The Silvaniei Land, situated in S ălaj County, overlaps a former bay of the Pannonian Sea.
This sea is found between Plopi șului Mountains and Mese șului Mountains, with a wide north-
western opening (Josan, 2009). The Land was built as a trans itional space but in time became a
regional and national heritage. This site is support ed by public institutions and specialized bodies
of central public administration subordinated to the Romanian Government. In a mental space
(Cocean, 2005) with specific demarcations made by Josan Ioana (2009) this is a heritage that excels in authenticity. This Land is comprised of historical monuments and people who appreciate
the cultural heritage. The traditional appearance of the villages in the Silvaniei Land is given by
the wooden architecture (traditi onal architecture) and, wooden architectural creations (wooden
churches). Both of these structures does not only have physical value but is a symbol of human
faith. Their construction dependeds on local natural resources (wood and stone), climatic
conditions, relief and economic development. The w ooden churches also present a set of features
specific to the Romanian traditional architecture from the studied area (architectural style,
materials and construction techniques, interior and exterior decoration).

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The term „cultural heritage” had an ascendant evolution, characterized through the
XX
th century by expansion and semantic transfer (Vecco, 2010). It was used in the sense of
paternal heritage, the heritage including everything people wish to save, from material culture
to nature (Howard, 2003) and in the sense of monument. The heritage represents the most
important component of a people’s cultural iden tity. Its destruction, therefore, can have

 Corresponding Author

Ștefan BAIAS
138
negative consequences on human dignity (Sil verman & Ruggles, 2007). Without cherishing
and respecting a community’s common cultural heri tage left by past generations, we cannot
speak of a people's cultural continuity 1.
The concepts and the notions regarding the cultural heritage (the notion of monument, the
concept of conservation and restoration of historical monuments and the traditional architecture
concept) are related to its variety and complexity whic is, used both in Romanian and foreign
literature. The concept of monument originates in Latin, „monumentum” meaning remembrance,
memory. It is attributed to the most important wo rks of humanity, such as works of architecture,
monumental sculpture and paintings, inscriptions, archaeological structures, caves and groups of
elements which have outstanding universal value fro m a historical, artistic and also scientific point
of view (Curinschi, 1968; Michael, 2001). In this sense, monuments receive historical value,
standing as an evidence of the past, as an artistic value, embodying an emotional power or having
a practical value that depends on how they are used (Curinschi, 1968). During their long life,
monuments suffer changes in their initial appearan ce due to human interven tion, insects, fungi
(Vilconciene & Drobeliene, 2000) and due to the destructive action of natural factors. For these
reasons mentioned, it is necessary to conserve and restore these monuments. The conservation and restoration of histori cal monuments (wooden churches) are e ssential for the preservation of the
humanity’s cultural identity (Curinschi, 1968). Th e churches were origionally handcrafted out of
wood by carpenters. They were designed to be a house dedicated to the Divine power, the place
where man and Divinity meet, melting through the religious act (Kiss & B ălu, 2000). In time, due
to the modernization of inhabited areas and due to their decreasing number, such edifices became,
coupled with their attributes of uniqueness or iginality and, important works of traditional
architecture. Traditional architecture refers to constructions built by carpenters or people
specialized in constructions wh o will not be their users. Carpenters received their knowledge
orally from their ancestors and the materializa tion of their knowledge l eads to an architecture
specific to the area they belong to. Traditiona l architecture includes public buildings (e.g.
churches) houses, constructions with ec onomic character or technical facilities
2.

METHODOLOGY
The information analyzed in this study comes from the geography, architecture and
history fields, from official statistics and from the research conducted on the field. This
scientific research is the skeleton of a themat ic approach which seeks to analyze notions and
concepts related to the term „cultural heritage” . The research is designed to carry out a
diagnosis of the wooden churches from the Silvaniei Land.
Results were obtained using the following methods of geographical research:
bibliographical documentation method – obtaining information from both the Romanian and
foreign literature (Cocean, 2005); observation me thod. The results from the observation on the
evolution of the wooden churches from the Silvaniei Land are reproduced through the
geographical description (Cocean, 2005); historical method – a study on the evolution of the
wooden churches „and an investigation of the causes that determine their modification over the
evolutionary time trajectory” (Petrea, 2002, p. 21); the statisti cal method – collecting, processing,
analysing and interpreting statistical data (Andrei & Stancu, 1995); analysis method – the data and
information profiling process (Co cean, 2005); spatial analysis me thod – decoding the distribution
of wooden churches, historical monuments in S ălaj county and quantitative and qualitative
processing of the information obtained; comparison method – comparing the wooden churches from Sălaj, Bihor and Maramure ș counties in order to determin e differences and similarities
between them (Cocean, 2005) and cartographic mapping – the transformation of information in
cartographic representations (maps) (Ilie ș et al., 2010; Petrea, 2005).

1 http://patrimoniu-rper.com/despre-patrimoniu.html.
2 http://www.conservarearhitectura. ro/arhitectura-vernaculara.html

Typological Aspects Concerning the Wooden Churches of the Silvaniei Land
139
DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF WOODEN CHURCHES IN THE SILVANIEI LAND
The land between the Plopi șului and Mese șului Mountains, known as the „Silvaniei Land”
(Josan, 2009), 22 wooden churches that have entered the national cultural heritage (Godea &
Cristache-Panait, 1978; LMI, 2010; Josan, 2009 ). Twenty of these churches are under the
patronage of Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel (table 1). The wooden churches date from the
XVIth, XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries, the oldest wooden church being the church „Sts. Archangels
Michael and Gabriel” in the Bulgari village, S ălățig commune (1547) (Petrean-P ăușan et al.,
2008). A meditation place for the Romanian peas ant, these churches ar e true architectural
Romanian creations in which the technical ingenuity and the skills of the carpenters, the power of
adaptation to the natural, socio-historical, economic conditions and the respect for the faith of a long line of generations mix (figure 1 and figure 2).

Figure 1. Wooden church from Tusa
Figure 2. Wooden church from Por ț

Table 1 . The wooden churches from the Silvaniei Land
(Data source: Godea & Cristache-Panait,1978; Petrean-P ăușan et al., 2008; LMI, 2010; 3)
No. Commune/
Town Village/Church Patronage Construction
year/century
1 Șimleu Silvaniei Bic Assumption of Mary 1778
2 Some ș Odorhei Bârsa Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIIIth century
3 Hereclean Boc șița Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIIIth century
4 S ălățig Bulgari Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1547
5 Cam ăr Cam ăr Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIIIth century
6 Șimleu Silvaniei Cehei Sts. Arch angels Michael and Gabriel 1765
7 Chieșd Chieșd Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIIIth century
8 Bobota Der șida Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1700
9 Dobrin Doba Mic ă Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIth century
10 Dobrin Dobrin Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1720
11 Some ș Odorhei Domnin Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1753
12 Cehu Silvaniei Horoatu Cehului Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1749
13 Jibou Husia Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1815

3 www.cimec.ro

Ștefan BAIAS
140
14 Cehu Silvaniei Nadi ș Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1738
15 S ălățig No țig Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1760-1762
16 Marca Por ț Ascension of Jesus 1792
17 Chie șd Sighetu Silvaniei Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1632
18 Sâg Sârbi Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1707
19 Sâg Tusa Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel XVIIIth century
20 Cehu Silvaniei Ulciug Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1781
21 Jibou Var Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1733
22 Zalnoc Zalnoc Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel 1700

THE STRUCTURE OF WOODEN CHURCHES
Made of wood and supported on stone foundation or on the ground, the wooden churches
prove the carpenter’s artistic techniques in manufacturing the wood while complementing the
beauty of the natural environment. In terms of co nstruction techniques, the style that stands out is
Blockbau, a style that is composed of a system made out of wooden logs laid horizontally in
crowns, with corner joints in dovetail and sadd le notch (Godea, 2008). Their structure is as
follows: narthex (or the women’s vestibule), nave (or the men's house), apse (or altar of God),
shingle and metal roof, bell tower and porch (veranda). Based on these elements, on previous
studies (Godea & Cristache-Panait, 1978; Petrean-P ăușan et al., 2008) and on the field research,
we can identify three categories of churches using the door’s position as a criterion in relation to
the geographical orientation (table 2): A – with southern entrance (figure 4), B – with northern
entrance and C – with western entrance.

Table 2 . Typology of wooden houses according to their entrance
Type Wooden churches from the localities:
A – with southern entranceBic, Bârsa, Bulgari, Cam ăr, Cehei, Chie șd, Derșida, Doba Mic ă, Noțig, Domnin,
Horoatu Cehului, Husia, Nadi ș, Porț, Sighetu Silvaniei, Sârbi, Tusa, Var, Zalnoc

B – with northern entrance Dobrin
C – with western entrance Boc șița, Ulciug

Planimetrically speaking, the w ooden churches from the Silv aniei Land have a rectangular
plan. The altar’s apse is unhooked and polygonal with five sides (figure 3), „followed by the
unhooked, square apse, deeply rooted in the Transylvanian Romanian architecture” (Godea &
Cristache-Panait, 1978, p 239; Godea, 2008).
The three rooms (narthex, nave and apse) are arranged along the longitudinal axis east-
west. The slender shape (form) of the wooden churches is given by the roof and the bell tower.
The wooden or metal roof (figure 5 and figure 6) is supported by a system of beams and brackets which create, in some churches, a double roof that also covers the porch through broad eaves. The
short bell tower is supported on the narthex and it is designed to shelter the semantron and the
bells. These bells serve as an „extremely important means of communication in the village life”
(Godea, 1996, p 81). The tower plan is square shaped and is equipped with belfry and cone shaped
roof (Petrean-P ăușan et al., 2008). On the spire of the wooden churches from Chie șd, Derșida and
Ulciug localities, we can notice the presence of certa in turrets that give them a particular charm.
The wooden churches from the S ilvaniei Land are unique due to the spectacular bell towers
which include, double roofs and proportions similar to the wooden churches from Maramure ș. They
are also, in terms of the presente d characteristics, similar to those of Bihor (figure 7, figure 8 and
figure 9). Another important difference is given by the church entrance. In S ălaj and Bihor, most of
the wooden churches have access through the south side while in Maramure ș the entrance is on the
west side. In return, the wooden churches from Bihor, are richer in notched or carved ornaments
compared to the ones in the Silvaniei Land, (Berindei et al., 1979).

Typological Aspects Concerning the Wooden Churches of the Silvaniei Land
141

Figure 3. Rectangular plan with the altar’s apse being
unhooked and polygonal with five sides for the wooden church
Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel from Der șida locality
(Source: Godea & Cristache-Panait, 1978) Figure 4. Sketch for the wooden church
Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel
from Doba Mic ă locality
(Source: Godea & Cristache-Panait, 1978)

Figure 5 . The wooden church with wooden roof
from Sârbi Figure 6. The wooden church with metal roof
from Chie șd
(Source: Petrean-P ăușan et al., 2008 )

Figure 7. Wooden church from
Cehei, Sălaj County Figure 8. Wooden church from
Brădet, Bihor County Figure 9. Wooden church from
Ferești, Maramure ș County

Ștefan BAIAS
142
The interior structure and the paintings fr om the wooden churches are specific to the
Orthodox Church (figure 10). The massive door frames, the small windows, the thick rope looking friezes and the carved pillars are the most important external elements that enhance their artistic
value and originality (Godea & Cris tache-Panait, 1978; Josan, 2009).

Figure 10. Images with the interior of th e wooden church Sts. Archangels Michael and Gabriel from Sârbi

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF WOODEN CHURCHES
The wooden churches from the Silvaniei Land are located in the villages from the basins of
the Barcăului, Crasnei și Sălajului valleys (figure 11) (Godea & Cristache-Panait, 1978; Petrean-
Păușan et al., 2008).

Figure 11. Spatial distribution of wooden c hurches from the Silvaniei Land Located on hill tops, in the
precincts of the village, the churches remained mostly inactive due to their historical monument
status and the construction of brick churches (table 3)

Typological Aspects Concerning the Wooden Churches of the Silvaniei Land
143
Table 3. Wooden churches typology according to their roof type,
their location in the precincts of the village and their liturgical activity
(Data source: Godea & Cristache-Panait,1978; Petrean-P ăușan et al., 2008)
Commune/
Town Village/
Church Location in the
precincts of the village Roof Liturgical
activity
Geographical
orientation Geomorphologic
aspect wood metal Yes No
Șimleu Silvaniei Bic west hill X X
Someș Odorhei Bârsa central hill X X
Hereclean Boc șița central hill X X
Sălățig Bulgari vest hill X X
Camăr Cam ăr north hill X X
Șimleu Silvaniei Cehei east hill X X
Chieșd Chie șd central hill X X
Bobota Der șida central hill X X
Dobrin Doba Mic ă east hill X X
Dobrin Dobrin South hill X X
Someș Odorhei Domnin east hill X X
Cehu Silvaniei Horoatu Cehului central hill X X
Jibou Husia central hill X X
Cehu Silvaniei Nadi ș central hill X X
Sălățig No țig central hill X X
Marca Por ț east hill X X
Chieșd Sighetu Silvaniei central hill X X
Sâg Sârbi central hill X X
Sâg Tusa South-east hill X X
Cehu Silvaniei Ulciug central hill X X
Jibou Var north hill X X
Zalnoc Zalnoc central hill X X

CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge of the wooden cultural heritage is important for the community from the
Silvaniei Land because it reflects its past, present and future. In agreemen t with this idea, we
studied 22 wooden churches from an area of contact between Cri șana, Maramure ș and
Transylvania. These were approached in terms of quantity, quality and local and regional
characteristics (structure, architectural style and typology). Made of wood and supported on stone
foundation or on the ground the wooden churches community from the Silvaniei Land prove the carpenter’s artistic techniques in manufacturing the wood. Located on hill tops, in the precincts of
the village, they present a series of characteristic s: rectangular compartmental plan (narthex, nave
and apse), unhooked and polygonal or square apse, porch (veranda), wood and metal double roof, short bell tower supported on the narthex, with belfry and cone shaped roof, and turrets on the
spire of three churches. The external elements th at enhance their artistic value and originality are
the massive door frames, the small windows and th e friezes which resemble thick rope. Taken into
consideration the presented charact eristics, the wooden churches from the Silvaniei Land differ
from those of Maramure ș (high bell tower, double roofs…) and are similar to those of Bihor except
in terms of ornament. Included on lists, in heritage programs and strategies elaborated by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the wooden churches have managed to survive the
current economic, social and cultural evolution.
Aknowlegments
This work was partially supported by the strategic grant POSDRU /107/1.5/S/80272,
Project ID80272 (2010), co-financed by the European Social Fund-Investing in People, within the Sectorial Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007-2013.

Ștefan BAIAS
144
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Submitted: Revised: Accepted and published online
April 20, 2012 May 09, 2012 June 15, 2012