Wooden Churches of Maramureş

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Narration Text

The Maramureş region of north-western Romania is made up of rolling hills dotted with farms. The traditional way of life in this region has changed little since medieval times. The Norwegian Spruce plays an important part in this way of life. Churches are built in a way to retain the original shape of the trees. Eight of the region’s wooden churches are inscribed as World Heritage. Not a single nail was used during their construction. Spruce trees are precious and the churches made from them are considered to be a body of Christ.

Sunday morning in church, a Mass begins. The church floor is made of oak and the walls and roof are made of spruce. People here believe in the "Greek - Catholic" faith, a united form of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox religions. Villagers built this church in the middle of the 18th century. Its walls and ceilings are covered with religious pictures painted by travelling painters of the Maramureş region. Babies in this village are baptized in the spruce-built churches and are nursed in cradles made of spruce. The Maramureş region has based its culture on wood for a long time. Most of the walls of the houses and their gates are also made of the timber. Here is a carved wooden gatepost made of spruce. Spruce trees are also believed to keep evil spirits away. Spruce in this region is seen as "The Tree of Life" and covers all aspects of people’s lives. Graves are also made of spruce. These brightly decorated tombs are unique to the region. They are decorated with paintings depicting the lives, occupation and hobbies of the deceased. This woman worked hard. Her tombstone says that she raised two fine sons that are just like spruce trees.

From the Cradle to the Grave, Spruce trees which grow tall even on poor land are a spiritual pillar of the people of the Maramureş region.