I. IDENTIFICATION OF THE ASSET
II. JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION

I. IDENTIFICATION OF THE ASSET
          
           a. Country: Romania
           b. State, province sau region: County Maramures
           Bârsana commune, Bârsana village
           Budesti commune, Budesti village
           Desesti commune, Desesti village
           Ieud commune, Ieud village
           Sisesti commune, Plopis village
           Poienile Izei commune, Poienile Izei village
           Târgu Lapus town, Rogoz village
           Sisesti commune, Surdesti village
           c. Name of the asset: The "Maramures Wooden Churches" Complex:
           "The Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple" Church of Bârsana
           "Saint Nicholas'" Church of Budesti
           "Pious Parascheva" Church of Desesti
           "The Nativity of the Mother of God" Church of Ieud
           "The Holy Archangels" Church of Plopis
           "Pious Parascheva" Church of Poienile Izei
           "The Holy Archangels" Church of Rogoz
           "The Holy Archangels" Church of Surdesti
           d. Exact location on map, and indication of geographical coordinates:
           - latitude : 47 28' and 47 50' north;
           - longitude: 23 36' and 24 14' east.
  

II. JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION
          
Statement of significance
          
           In the Maramures county are inscribed on the Historic Monuments List ninety-three wooden churches declared monuments of architecture. Eight of these ninety-three churches have been chosen as the most representative constructions. Their old age, location and atmosphere, architectural pattern, construction technique, interior painting and state of conservation define the Maramures wooden churches as heritage sites of exceptional universal value. They exemplify the construction type initiated in the 17th century, through the collective effort of often anonymous artists, endowed with an undeniable creative genius.
           They have been selected also with the intention of revealing to the world the main wooden churches of this region: six of them define the typical Maramures church, one (the Rogoz one) represents the north Transylvania type of churches, and one (the Plopis one), the transition between these two types. All of them, without exception, are monuments of a great value.
           The Maramures wooden churches represent the beautiful synthesis of the major architectural elements of Eastern and Western Europe, more precisely a synthesis of the Byzantine plan and the Gothic forms rendered according to an original autochthonous architectural interpretation. The constructions are made out of wood, in conformity with the Blockbau system, according to the traditional technique, which denotes a perfect knowledge of the material.
           They represent a particular type of construction in the context of the wooden churches of Romania, implicitly of Europe, by:
           - the higher naos, and pronaos (and porch, if any), which involved the emergence of the double roof, resulting in a larger church;
           - the naos topped with a bell tower; here the Gothic influence is obvious, while technically this original solution is remarkable; the largeness and artistry of this architectural form have given to the churches an unmistakable outline.
           The intricate structure is remarkable, as every element has a double role, constructive and decorative. The sizing denotes a sure sense of proportions; the inner space is conceived at a human scale, while resting imposing. The interior painting, the cult objects, heighten this effect. The double roof, the horizontal lines of the registers, are new elements that have considerably changed the architecture of the façades. Like the bell tower, that defies the laws of statics, they give to the church a dynamism challenging the robustness and stability of the base.
           All these elements converge towards the impressive monumentality of these churches, considered to be true wooden cathedrals.