Barsana Village

Universitatea de Stiinte Agronomice si Medicina Veterinara IMAPA Grupa 8119 Marincuta Maria Izabela

Bârsana is one of the bigger communes in Maramureş, and one of the most important villages in the valley of the Iza River. The church, which now stands on a small hill surrounded by an orchard, is one of the eight churches on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The name bârsan means a shepherd who keeps sheep with thick long wool, and the word became a surname during medieaval times. The village of Bârsana is referred to as the property of kneaz Stanislau, son of Stan Bârsan in documents of 1326 and 1346.

• The church is very dark inside.

The very small and low pronaos is

without any windows at all. The

naos is much more spacious, with

a high barrel vault, but also here

not much light enters.

• The monastery had by that time

existed for some centuries, for a

document of 6 November 1405

mentions a field of the monastery.

The church was used for monastic

purposes until 1791, when the

monastery was abolished. In 1802,

the villagers decided to move the

unused church to the middle of the

community.