Șoimușeni, The Orthodox Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The precise moment when the church was built is unknown; the list of historical monuments indicates the 16th century as the period of its erection. The most important documentary sources show that in Șoimușeni, the church was erected before the year 1848. The local tradition notes that the church was brought from Fericea, […]

11. December 201923. January 2020 Veronica

GENERAL PRESENTATION
The precise moment when the church was built is unknown; the list of historical monuments indicates the 16th century as the period of its erection. The
most important documentary sources show that in Șoimușeni, the church was erected before the year 1848. The local tradition notes that the church
was brought from Fericea, county of Maramureș, a village from the same Chioaru region, 2 villages away from Șoimușeni. To the extent to which this
tradition is based on real facts, most probably this event happened sometimes in the 3rd-4th decades of the 18th century.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
The overall technical condition was extremely degraded for most elements and the tower was in a pre-collapse condition which needed an urgent
intervention to make it secure. The main problem with the narthex/nave and the altar was the existence of nodes/dislocated/broken elements caused
by the deformation of the church.
The deformation of the church (and leaning of the tower) are mainly caused by the absence of any foundation, which triggered the excessive compaction
of the narthex segment. The degradation of the roof and the absence of any maintenance works in the last decades have led to the surfacing of degraded
wood segments which need an intervention, too. The same type of intervention was also necessary for the biologically degraded float shoes. The roof
suffered an accelerated degradation which caused water infiltrations and thus endangered the roof structure and the mural painting. The laths were
undersized and largely affected by rottenness. The existing lightning rod was degraded and no longer functional.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
The proposed intervention covered the structural and architectural rehabilitation. We propose interventions for the reconstruction of the foundations
and the rebuilding of the dry walls and the rehabilitation of the walls by replacing the degraded shoes and the joints between them, respectively the
broken blockages where needed. The intervention to the floors will be ones of rehabilitation/restoration; no strengthening works are proposed. The roof
structure will be consolidated and rehabilitated and the degraded segments will be sectioned-changed. The degraded shingle roof will be dismantled
and a new roof of the same material will be installed respecting the disposition, size, material and manufacturing technique of the existing one. A
lightning rod will also be installed.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The stone foundations of the south and east sides were redone, the degraded oak shoes were replaced and completed, one of the tower pillars that had
been struck by lightning was replaced, the tower was rotated and made vertical and a new roof was installed while preserving the historical laths.

Crivina de Sus, Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The wooden church in Crivina de Sus with the dedication “Cuvioasa Paraschiva” is the oldest such church in the area, the oral tradition as well as a Cyrillic inscription on the southern portal are marking the year 1676 as the year of its erection. The dendrochronological inverstigation taken in the summer of 2016 […]

11. December 201927. January 2020 Veronica

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GENERAL PRESENTATION
The wooden church in Crivina de Sus with the dedication “Cuvioasa Paraschiva” is the oldest such church in the area, the oral tradition as well as a
Cyrillic inscription on the southern portal are marking the year 1676 as the year of its erection. The dendrochronological inverstigation taken in the
summer of 2016 confirm its age. The wooden church in Crivina de Sus is the center of a multidisciplinary project (Wooden Churches in Banat), which
has been running since 2013 at the initiative of the Romanian Landscape Association, the Western Territorial Branch, and it is conceived as a sum of
interdisciplinary workshops on architecture and urbanism, landscape, restoration of painting and stone, anthropology and cultural studies. Between
2013-2017 the church survey (laser scanning and photogrammetry) and a series of studies (geological study, dendrochronological study, analysis of
plaster composition, archaeological surveys, historical study, etc.) were carried out. In 2018, the oak was cut and carved for the soles and then the
church was erected to replace the degraded soles, as well as the restoration of the stone foundation “a secco“. In 2019, plumbing, continuation and
replacement of some structural elements in the tower and roof framing were carried out. Subsequently, the interior of the church was plastered with
earth-based plaster.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
The shingle cover had been degraded for many years, the church was covered with a foamy foil through which the meteoric water penetrated when
the involvement of volunteers began. In 2013 the roof was additionally covered with a ventilated waterproof cloth.
In 2015, within the project is was managed to install a temporary protective roof, made of a tensioned membrane, a roof that allows the carrying out of
research and restoration actions.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
It was proposed to secure the church by restoring the sheathing. The new shingle is 43 centimeters long and the width between 8 and 12 cm with the
straight finish. The existing degraded laths were undersized, so they were replaced with some suitable of 4×5 cm.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The actual intervention consisted in the dismantling and installation of a new shingle roofing, respecting the layout, the size, the material and the
manufacturing technique of the previous one.

Jupânești, „Cuvioasa Paraschiva” Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The local tradition and some stylistic arguments point towards a dating of the church sometime in the second half of the 17th c. or in the first half of the following one. The building is simple – a single rectangular space for the naos, with a polygonal apse to the east and a […]

11. December 201927. January 2020 Veronica

Luncșoara, Orthodox Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION Local tradition and the research conducted up to the present moment reveal that the church has been placed on its current location around 1825. Its original location is still uncertain. Some say that it used to be in the hamlet Crăciunești, others say it is from Vața de Sus, both in Hunedoara County. […]

5. December 201920. March 2020 Veronica

GENERAL PRESENTATION
Local tradition and the research conducted up to the present moment reveal that the church has been placed on its current location around 1825. Its
original location is still uncertain. Some say that it used to be in the hamlet Crăciunești, others say it is from Vața de Sus, both in Hunedoara County. The simple structure of the church is made of a rectangular nave, a polygonal three-sided apse on the east side and a nartex on the western side above which the high slender tower rises. The gazebo on the tower is unusual for the architecture in Arad County. Another unusual detail is the fact that both entrances are situated on the southern wall (one for the nartex, one for the nave). The painting which is only visible on the iconostasis and partially in the altar dates back to the end of the 19th century and was made by Ioan Demetrovici, ”city” painter (as referred to in historic documents).
He also painted other nearby churches, including the one in Vîjdoci, where an inscription from 1870 is still visible. Another inscription, from one of the wooden churches nearby, says that he comes from Timișoara. Both the interior and the exterior of the church in Luncșoara are plastered now.
According to historic evidence, this happened at the beginning of the 20th century. The family of the priest Viorel Cotocea says that the latest intervention on the church, when the shingle was replaced, happened in 1975.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
Both the shingle roof of the church and of the impressive tower above the nartex were severely deteriorated, thus threatening the conservation of the historic monument and the paintings. Meteoric water would penetrate inside the church which would soon affect irreversibly its structural elements and decoration.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
Following a preliminary evaluation of the church’s conservation state, the proposal consists of further documentation (including the extraction of
samples from the original materials), replacement of deteriorated wooden elements (the slats) and a new shingle roof, similar to the old one found on site.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The shingle roof was replaced with a new one, of the same wood essence and dimension as the one found on site. The shingle was nailed in two
layers with apparent nails. The shingle found on site used to be one-layered. However, it has been decided for a two-layered approach in order to
ensure durability. A sample for the original material was preserved in the attic of the church. The intervention was coordinated by the NGO Monumentum Association from Sibiu and The Cultural Association Vernacular from Arad and was co-financed by the County Council of Arad, the Orthodox Archbishopric of Arad, the National State Secretariat for religious Affairs and the local town government.

Eftimie Murgu, “Îndărătnica de la Părete” Water-Mill

GENERAL PRESENTATION Rudăriei Gorges (Cheile Rudăriei) watermill reservation is one of the most important reservations of such kind in Romania. On the route of 3 km where there once were 40 watermills (only 22 preserved today) there is also the one named “Îndărătnica de la părete” – considered to be the oldest of them. It […]

5. December 201920. March 2020 Veronica

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GENERAL PRESENTATION
Rudăriei Gorges (Cheile Rudăriei) watermill reservation is one of the most important reservations of such kind in Romania. On the route of 3 km where there once were 40 watermills (only 22 preserved today) there is also the one named “Îndărătnica de la părete” – considered to be the oldest of them.
It is partially built on the rock, partially on two wooden posts on the shore of the river Rudărica. After a severe flood which seriously affected other watermills more recently built and thus normally stronger, the “Îndărătnica de la părete” watermill survived – perhaps thanks to its position near the cliff –, although it was damaged. At the time of its evaluation we also noticed the old and deteriorated beech shingle, thus requiring rapid intervention necessary to slow down the decay.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
The waters and the vegetation rests falling from the cliff were accumulated at the base of the building, thus leading to the severe decay of the elements located at the base of the watermill building. Furthermore, the rainwater slowly degraded the beech roof covering, as well as some laths and rafters.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
The intervention proposal targeted the stability of the watermill and its protection with a new handmade beech covering, having similar characteristics with the older, replaced one.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The volunteers were split in two working-groups: the first worked under the guidance of a shingle master in the village, thus manually producing the
necessary material to build a new covering (the shingle pieces were cut along the fibres, according to the traditional techniques); the second group
documented the elements of the planned interventions, replaced one of the base elements of the building (severely rotten) with a new one, and then
replaced the degraded elements of the roof – some rafters and laths, then the shingle. The first workgroup provided the shingle, which was assembled
following the model of the former one. Members of the local community, and especially Mihai Vlădia (the mayor of the locality) also participated at
the production and assemblage of the new shingle. The intervention was coordinated by Active Patrimony Association (PACT) from Timișoara and cofinanced by the Romanian Order of Architects and Eftimie Murgu Town Hall.

Dragomirești, Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The wooden church in Dragomirești is one of the oldest and most valuable in Banat, although both the year of its construction and the one of its bringing into the village is still shrouded in mystery. The church dates back to the 17th-18th centuries. The painting, one of the most valuable in […]

5. December 201927. January 2020 Veronica

Apoș, The Evangelical Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The monument is located in the eastern side of the village and is now made up of a hall-church and an isolated bell tower placed 6.50 m west from the church. Both components are made of masonry and bear the traces of abandonment by the community which scattered in the second half of […]

4. December 201923. January 2020 Veronica

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GENERAL PRESENTATION
The monument is located in the eastern side of the village and is now made up of a hall-church and an isolated bell tower placed 6.50 m west from the
church. Both components are made of masonry and bear the traces of abandonment by the community which scattered in the second half of the 20th
century and the first decades of the following one: walls demolished to the ground on the western side, degraded roofs and plaster, poorly maintained
or broken/partially disappeared gullies, broken windows, the interior inventory partially moved to other institutions as a safety measure.
In the middle ages, the church was part of a fortified ensemble, then they erected a series of differently proportioned buildings on the premises and
outside it, like the school (1913) and the “Teacher’s House”, both by the tower and near the “Fortress Manager’s House” (attached to the northern façade
of the bell tower); there’s also the “Community House” and the evangelical parish house.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
The building constituted a public danger considering that the precinct wall no longer existed (and the area was quite frequented by the local youth)
and tiles fell off the roof quite frequently. The church roof was degraded and allowed for infiltrations because of the exfoliation of the manufactured
historical tiles and of the breaks in them caused by mechanical shocks (probably hailstone), the roof elements would slide down the laths and some the
laths were wrongfully disposed. The roof was made of several types of historical tile.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
The proposal was to remake the roof on a “piece by piece” basis: dismantle, sort and rearrange the ceramic items and replace the missing ones with
manufactured ceramic elements of identical shape, size, disposition, mechanical properties and manufacturing technique.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The first two rows of tiles were mounted on the eave in a limestone-based mortar bed after the previous cleaning of the surplus of mortar from the latest
intervention. First we needed to mount the gutter hooks on the ejectors.
The historical laths carved in fir wood were preserved and only the degraded ones were replaced following a careful visual inspection. The new lathes
were mechanically debited. In the areas where the irregular section of the historical laths allowed the tiles to slide down, we selected and used longer
lip tiles. The historical crests from the edges were reused and wet-mounted. After remounting the roof, we mounted new gutters and drainpipes.
With the help of experts, we probed the interior church walls. We discovered several dates and inscriptions on the laths, the tiles and the bricks.
Also, we replaced the tiles and the degraded or missing crests from the bell tower roof and the old, dysfunctional lightning rod.

Cuștelnic, The Orthodox Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The wooden church dedicated to St. Nicholas is part of a smaller group of monuments located in the plains of Transylvania. It is included on the list of historical monuments issued in 2004 under the code MS-II-m-A-15647 and dated in 1780. The dating of the construction or the way in which it was […]

3. December 201920. March 2020 Veronica

GENERAL PRESENTATION
The wooden church dedicated to St. Nicholas is part of a smaller group of monuments located in the plains of Transylvania. It is included on the list of historical monuments issued in 2004 under the code MS-II-m-A-15647 and dated in 1780.
The dating of the construction or the way in which it was built also raises the issue of its origin. According to tradition, the church was erected in 1751 with materials from the previous church located on a different hillside and mentioned by Micu Klein in the 1733 legal text and from another church coming from the Deda region and brought with rafts via the Ogra. The church is part of a more particular planimetric category that’s significant both due to its distant origins and as a unit within the Romanian space, with a ship-like blueprint, i.e. a rectangular ship with a polygonal apse unhooked on five sides to the east and the narthex to the west closed on three sides, without any unhooking while the entrance is placed on the southern side.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
Upon the initial assessment of the intervention it was discovered that the roof degradation had accelerated lately; presently there are water infiltrations that endanger the roof structure and the mural painting. The laths are undersized and largely affected by rottenness. The existing lightning rod is degraded and no longer functional.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
It was suggested to make the church safe again by repairing its roof and certain elements thereof and replacing the horizontal beams affected by
rottenness according to the biological expertise.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The object of the intervention consisted in the gradual dismantling of the shingle roof and the mounting of a new one made from the same material that was previously subject to a hydrophobic, antiseptic and antifungal treatment while observing the placement, size and technique used for the building of the previous roof and also replacing the roof elements and the horizontal beams with the help of volunteers and craftsmen. The painting from the intervention areas was secured with the help of experts and a new lightning rod was installed.

Breb, The Orthodox Wooden Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The wood church in Breb is known as one of the most representative old religious buildings in Maramureş. According to the dendrochronological analyses, the church was built from cut wood in the winter 1621/1622. The old core, containing the naos and the narthex, is continued to the east with two square apses and […]

3. December 201920. March 2020 Veronica

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GENERAL PRESENTATION
The wood church in Breb is known as one of the most representative old religious buildings in Maramureş. According to the dendrochronological
analyses, the church was built from cut wood in the winter 1621/1622. The old core, containing the naos and the narthex, is continued to the east with two square apses and a polygonal altar, all dated in the 19th c. The painting of the church, only partially preserved, can probably be dated in the 17th c.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
At the preliminary evaluation of the necessary works we concluded that the laths and rafters was relatively good. However, the covering was consistently degraded, thus allowing water infiltrations endangering the roof structure, the painting and the inventory of the church.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
The evaluation of the building conservation was followed by the proposal to replace the degraded roof covering with a new one, made from the same
material as the previous (wood shingles), previously treated against weather and biological attacks with a solution containing copper sulphate.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The intervention started, as usual, with documenting the existing covering system. Afterwards, the old covering was dismantled and replaced with
a new one, by respecting the disposition, dimensions and manufacturing techniques of the old material, also treated accordingly to the proposal. The
works were possible thanks to the support offered by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, by the local parish, by Ocna-Şugatag City Hall and by
Petru Tiran (shingle producer). The accommodation and the meals for the volunteers were offered by the local community in Breb. No less than 45 men
(both young and old) from the locality, among which the priest Marian Pop, participated to the assemblage of the new shingle on the roof. S.C. TEMAD
CO SRL from Brașov offered the work equipment, while the wood treatment solution was provided by Bochemit (producer) and Deposib Expert from
Sibiu (dealer).

Filitelnic, The Precinct of the Fortified Church

GENERAL PRESENTATION The evangelical church in Filitelnic, dated in the 15th century, is surrounded by a polygonal precinct strengthened on the northern and southern sides with two towers. The last maintenance works were conducted in the 1980s, hence all the elements of the ensemble progressively deteriorated more or less severely (for instance, a vault inside […]

2. December 201920. March 2020 Veronica

GENERAL PRESENTATION
The evangelical church in Filitelnic, dated in the 15th century, is surrounded by a polygonal precinct strengthened on the northern and southern sides with two towers. The last maintenance works were conducted in the 1980s, hence all the elements of the ensemble progressively deteriorated more or less severely (for instance, a vault inside the church collapsed). In the year 2010 the ensemble entered in the attention of Arcus Association and Monumenta Transsylvaniae group, with the mission to salvage and re-functionalise it.

THE STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION
The tiles which previously protected the fortification walls were degraded, thus allowing the water to infiltrate and to alter the mortars binding the masonry. Hence, the upper parts of the fortification walls were partially dismantled, thus being irregular, furthermore severely threatening the stability of the walls — which in some parts bent about 30 cm in the upper part, meaning it got inclined at about 100 from the vertical. The integrity of the mural inscriptions preserved on the outer plaster was also compromised.

SAFETY INTERVENTION PROPOSAL
In this case we proposed the cleaning of the wall from vegetation, earth and other deposits, followed by consolidation works of the masonry with
handmade bricks — also considering for this completion to be recognised as a contemporary intervention. In the most vulnerable part of the precinct
we proposed to build a buttress, necessary to sustain the wall and prevent its collapse. The buttress would have a medium section of 80×80 cm, built
from stone and traditional brick, bond with lime-based mortar, while closing the joints at the wall surface with hydraulic lime mortar.

ACCOMPLISHED INTERVENTIONS
The intervention started with the cleaning of the crown of the walls, also removing the damaged bricks; the latter were replaced with new, similar
ones, and bond with the mortars described in the proposal. The most complicated operation was the chamfering of the bricks necessary to complete the
eaves. The works were made possible by Arcus Association and Anglo Romanian Trust for Traditional Architecture (ARTTA). The tools were provided
by S.C. TEMAD CO SRL in Brașov.