The magnetic beauty of painted monasteries
Masterpieces of mural painting, the painted monasteries of Bukovina have something to captivate. Nestling in the hollow of soft green hills, surrounded by thick forests, they are enveloped in a mystical atmosphere, conducive to their contemplation. The colourful frescoes that cover the outside walls of these churches are unique in Romania, and even in Europe. Surprisingly well preserved, they are the result of a singular artistic phenomenon that flourished in the region for a few decades during the 16th century. Many of these monasteries and their churches were built during the exceptionally long reign of Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504). Legend has it that the voivode had about forty of them built, for each of the victories over the Turks. The historians attribute to him rather about twenty of them. Others were founded by rich boyars and other personalities of the time, who used them as family necropolises. The son of Ștefan cel Mare, the erudite prince Petru Rareș (1527-1538 and 1541-1546), continued his father's work, building in his turn several religious buildings and initiating the cycle of frescoes. Survivors of this Moldavian golden age, eight of these monasteries are classified by Unesco: Arbore, Humor, Moldovița, Pătrăuți, Probota, Voroneț, Sucevița and St. John the New in Suceava. Their architecture mixes Byzantine heritage (trilobal plan) and Gothic influences (buttresses). In addition to artistic ambition, the frescoes, which also cover the interior walls, were intended to teach the Bible to illiterate peasants and to maintain their faith at a time when the Ottomans were threatening Moldova and the Protestant Reformation was progressing. They are true religious comic strips, depicting biblical scenes: the Last Judgement, the Jesse tree, the ladder to Paradise, etc. The walls are also used to teach the Bible to illiterate peasants and to maintain their faith, at a time when the Ottomans were threatening Moldova and the Protestant Reformation was progressing. Executed in a Byzantine style, they also include many local popular references: for example, the coming of Christ is announced with a bucium, the instrument used by the local shepherds to gather sheep. In some places, the surrounding landscapes are recognizable, as well as folk motifs. Some of the exterior paintings have suffered the ravages of time. But most have been remarkably preserved. The colours are surprisingly lively: the intense blue of Voronet, the red and gold of Humor, the green of Arbore... Moreover, their manufacturing technique has not yet been fully elucidated. The painted monasteries are generally open from 9am to 6pm every day. The entrance fee is around 1 €. They are best visited by car. Many local agencies also offer day tours. Some are accessible by public transport, from Suceava, Vama or Gura Humorului. Hiking trails connect some of them, notably between Sucevița and Moldovița.
Wooden churches, peasant masterpieces
They are the emblem of Maramureș, for which they have made a name. The wooden churches (biserici din lemn) astonish and impress with their humble beauty, slender silhouette and resistance to time. These monuments of traditional architecture are the expression of peasant spirituality and popular craftsmanship. As a civilization of wood, Maramureș has cultivated a know-how handed down from generation to generation, of which wooden churches are the most spectacular manifestation. Each village has at least one, old or recent. Eight of these buildings, considered to be particularly exceptional and representative, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are located in Poienile Izei, Rogoz, Plopiș, Ieud, Budești, Desești, Bârsana and Șurdești. Many others are worth a visit, such as the wooden churches of Botiza, Breb or Călinești, or the modern churches of the monasteries of Bârsana and Săpânța.
Erected in the 17th and 18th centuries, often in place of older churches destroyed during the last great Tatar invasion of 1717, their harmoniously proportioned architecture combines styles: their layout follows the Byzantine tradition, while the high bell towers bear witness to a Gothic influence. The most impressive is that of Șurdești, which reaches 54 m. These spires, standing on a narrow base, contribute greatly to the characteristic silhouette of these "wooden cathedrals", as they are nicknamed. Their monumental appearance is accentuated by their location, often planted on hilltops and surrounded by beautiful cemeteries. Built according to traditional methods, on the principle of stacked beams, they are sometimes equipped with an external gallery (called privdor). The roofs, single or double, are made of wood shingles. On the outside, the walls, the frames of the openings or the balustrades are carved with ornaments: braided ropes, plant motifs, etc. The interior is covered with murals, painted in the second half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, a period of artistic effervescence during which local masters from the peasant milieu travelled the region to paint walls, iconostases and icons. The two most famous are Alexandru Ponehalschi and Radu Munteanu. Their style follows the post-Byzantine tradition, reinterpreted in a naive genre. In the 19th century, the Baroque and Rococo influence, coming from Western Europe, was also felt (in Bârsana and Șurdești, for example). The themes are those of the Orthodox tradition, foremost among which is the Last Judgement, but popular references are numerous: here and there one can recognize costumes, folk motifs, landscapes from Maramureș, scenes of village life at the time... Among the best preserved paintings are those in the church of Desești, where both Ponehalschi and Munteanu officiated. Some of them have become too small for the village community, and have been replaced for worship by new buildings, some of them made of wood as well. Others still welcome the parishioners, dressed in their traditional costume, on Sundays and feast days.
