UNESCO Patrimony

The wooden churches from Maramures gathers eight monuments listed in 1999 in the UNESCO world:

• Barsana, 1720, dedication day – Virgin Mary’s Entrance in the Church has a rectangular plan with a five sides abse, bellfry on the pronave and roof with a double hem.

• Budesti – Josani,1643, dedication day - Sfantul Nicolae (St. Nicholas) has a rectangular plan with a separated polygonal abse and mural paintings since 1762
• Desesti, 1770,dedication day - Cuvioasa Paraschiva (The Pious Paraschiva) was mentioned for the first time in 1360, paintings by master Radu Munteanu in 1780. It has a collection of icons on wood from the 17th century, and on glass since the 19th century.
• Ieud, biserica din vale, 1717, dedication day - Virgin Mary; rectangular plan with a polygonal cutout abse; roof with a dubla hem.
• Sisesti, Plopis village, 1796, dedication day - Sfintii Arhangheli (the Holy Archangels); rectangular plan with a cutout abse; porch on the western side; avery high bellfry.
• Poienile Izei, 1604,dedication day - Cuvioasa Paraschiva has a rectangular plan with a square abse of the shrine; to the west a porch with wooden pillars; a mural painting since 1794.
• Targu Lapus, Rogoz Village, 1663, dedication day - Sfintii Arhangheli; put on fire by Tartars and rebuilt in 1717, it is remarkable due to the beauty of the silhoutte and the decoration; mural paintings made by many masters in the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century.
• Sisesti, Surdesti village, 1767, dedication day - Sfintii Arhangheli; the church was made from oak-tree beams on a stone-made foundation; the tower, 54 m in height, is guarded by four little towers; interior paintings since the 18th century.

The monuments from Moldavia (including Bucovina) were listed in 1993 in the UNESCO world heritage:

• Arbore,dedication day - The Decapitation of St. John the Baptiser; was built in 1503 by Boyar Luca Arbore; it has a longitudinal plan with no tower; two niches in the wall as abses are to be found in the nave; a large abse for the alms table is to be found outside (this feature appears only in a single other church); painting since 1541.
• Humor,dedication day – Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Sf. Gheorghe (St. George); was built in 1530 by boyar Toader Bubuiog, on the foundation of a 14th century settlement. It has no tower. An harmonious architecture. It has a vault and an open porch – the first from the Moldavian architecture. The exterior painting has as main theme, Constantinoples assiege.
• Moldovita, dedication day – the Annunciation; was rebuilt by Voivode Petru Rares on an older foundation; it is one of the most important monuments from the old Romanian art; mural paintings since 1537, both inside and outside; the main theme - Constantinoples assiege
• Patrauti,dedication day – the Holy Cross; was built by Steven the Great in 1487; small sizes but well-proportioned; a triconic plan with a tower on the nave; it uses an element specific to the Moldavian architecture – the oblique archways; the interior painting is extremely valuable – the portay of the founders reveals the „the Deploration” and „The Cavalcade of the military saints” scenes.
• Probota, dedication day - Sf. Nicolae; was founded by Petru Rares in 1530; the interior painting (restored) and the exterior (destroyed) since 1532; it is a representative piece of architecture for Moldavia’s 16th century
• Suceava, dedication day - Sf. Gheorghe; built in 1514-1522; remarkable mural paintings; on the exterior facades, fragments of painting can be seen; the silver tomb of Sf. Ion cel Nou.
• Sucevita.It is the newer among the painted churches/ monasteries from the north of the country. It was built by Movila brothers between 1583 and 1586. The plan of the church is specific to that period: pronave, nave and shrine, to whon a porch and a vault are added. The church is impressive due to the richness of the painted decoration, both inside and outside, and due to the ellegance of the shapes.
• Voronet, dedication day - Sf Gheorghe; built by Steven the Great in 1488; it has a triconic style with a tower on the nave; original paintings in the nave; a close porch and the exterior paintings (the famous blue of Voronet) date since 1547; the main theme of the painting – the Doomsday.

Saxon sites with strenghtened churches in Transylvannia gathers seven monuments listed in 1993, and 1999, in the UNESCO world heritage:

• Biertan, a hall-type church, 1492-1515; late Gothic with Rennaissance elements on some portals; the pulpit sculptured in stone is one of the most important Transylvannian sculptures; a precious polyptic shrine made in 1483-1524; the door to the shire room is considered a masterpiece.
• Calnic was first certified in the 13th century. It has a strong paralellipipedic donjon, mentioned in 1270, called Siegfried’s Tower; a peasant fortress arranged in the 15th – 16th centuries.
• Darjiu - an Unitarian hall-type church; the 14th – 15th centuries; it was strenghtened in the 16th century; it has very valuable interior mural paintings.
• Prejmer, the strongest peasant fortress in Transylvannia; the Evangelist Church – an early Gothic with Cistercian influences built in 1250; it has a cross-like plan; a valuable polyptic shrine; Baroc decorations; fragments of mural paintings both inside and outside.
• Saschiz, the Evangelist Church 1493-1496; it is remarkable due to the way the building was strenghtened; plan with a single hall; an oblong quire and polygonal abse.
• Valea Viilor, Sf. Petru Church, the 13th century; extended and strenghtened in the 15th – 16th centuries; the church looks like a strong tower, strenghtened and surronded by strong strenghtened walls.
• Viscri built in the end of the 16th century; it has a double precinct; the Evangelist Church in Gothic style; it suffered many changes in the 15th – 17th centuries.

Dacian fortresses in Orastie Mountains.

• Blidaru (Costesti Blidaru),a fortress from the 2nd century b.C. – 106 a.C. It was a permanent residence of the Dacian King Burebista. The fortress has two neighbouring precincts with walls built in limestone blocks; it is surrounded by a clay wall.
• Capalna, Dacian fortress located on La Cetate cliff, 610 m altitude.
• Costesti, a fortress with defence towers placed on Cetatuia Hill (561m altitude).
• Luncani Piatra Rosie. A Dacian stone-made fortress located, today, in Bosorod Village. It has five towers and a gate since the 1st century b.C. and the 1st century a.C.; it was destroyed after the Dacian-Roman War in 106; discovered objects: an iron sword of Celtic origin; the cover of a parade shield; a Bronze chandelier.
• Sarmizegetusa Regia – Gradistea de Munte. The former political, administrative and military capital of the Dacian State from the end of the 1st century b.C. and the beginning of the 1st century a.C.. It was one of the largest refuge fortresses in Transylvannia.
• Horezu Monastery (Horez, Hurez) was included on the list of the world heritage in 1999. It is the largest Medieval monument preserved in Wallachia. It was Voivode Constantin Brancoveanu’s main foundation. The monument includes many buildings as the church (1690-1693). It has a triconic plan with the tower on the nave and pronave. It also has a large porch with archways supported by ten stone-made pillars, sculptured in Rennaissance motives. The portray of the founder reveals the Voivode and his family. The other buildings (the bellfry, the chapel, the trapeze) impress through the beauty and the ellegance of the shapes.
• Sighisoara historic centre is the most beautifull and complete Medieval urban centre in Romania. The fortress dates since the 14th – 17th centuries - narrow streets, brick-made massive houses, a defence walls and towers belt. The most interesting tower – the Clock Tower or the Council’s Tower. Important monuments: the church of the monastery (the 13th – 15th centuries); Biserica din deal (the 14th – 16th century); the house where Vlad Dracul lived, and Vlat Tepes (the Impaler) was born.
• The Danube Delta. The newest and lowest territory of Romania with a relief permanently under change. It is the second largest delta in Europe. The minimum altitude is –36 m on Chilia Arm, and the maximum +13 m on the dunes from Letea Sand Bank.
  With a surface of 2.590 km2, the Danube Delta includes both dry land (about 15% from the surface at a normal level of those three arms of the Danube, which transformed and cross it) and swamps with lakes and streams.
  The main arms of the Danube - Chilia, Sulina and Sf. Gheorghe – are the results of the water separation at Ceatalul Izmail (Chilia in Chilia Arm, Tulcea Arm, this last one being divided at Ceatalul Sf. Gheorghe in Sulina Arm and Sf. Gheorghe Arm).