This is one of the "wooden churches" of the type built across Eastern Europe, from Karelia and northern Russia all the way to the Adriatic, but in terms of both quality and quantity the richest examples are in the Maramures. From 1278 the Orthodox Romanians were forbidden by their Catholic Hungarian overlords to build churches in stone, and so used wood to ape Gothic developments.
Most of the Maramures churches were re-built after the last Tartar raid in 1717, acquiring large porches and tall towers, often with four corner-pinnacles,clearly derived from the masonry architecture of the Transylvanian cities. Icons or "wall paintings" in these churches were produced by local artists in the 18th and early 19th centuries, combining the icon tradition with pagan motifs and topical propaganda. They broadly followed the standard Orthodox layout. The Incarnation and Eucharist in the sanctuary (for the priest's edification), the Last Judgement and the moralistic parables such as the Wise and Foolish Virgins in the narthex where the woman stand, and the Passion in the naos.
Later in the 19th century as the Uniate Church gained in strength, with more emphasis on the Ascension and the Evangelists. This particular church is in Poiana Brasov, Romania's premier ski resort.
I just wanted to share some of the history of Romania with you...enjoy the picture. I just copied some of the material from a book called Romania a rough guide by Dan Richardsan pg..248. Hope you found it interesting....May God bless you as you continue to pray for HIS CHURCH that is not made of sticks and stones but of precious people made in His likeness....
