Chapters authored
A Survey of Physical Parameters and Natural Radioactivity in the Wooden Church of “Archangels Mihail and Gavril,” Draghia
The aim of this chapter is to present information about the current environmental survey conducted in a wooden church in Draghia, Maramures County, Romania. The wooden church “Archangels Michael and Gavril” was built in 1706 and is registered as a category A historical monument in the national heritage. A mural painting of popular bills, in a precarious state of preservation, can be observed inside the church. A study was performed to analyze the correlation between the indoor/outdoor climatic parameters and degree of degradation in mural paintings. Additionally, an indoor radon screening was carried out in order to assess the potential exposure for workers and public. One of the most important environmental problems is the global climate change and its impact on the historical monuments in their natural space of conservation. The obtained results highlight how dangerous the climate can be in the long term regarding the state of conservation of the mural paintings inside the wooden church located in a natural environment.
Part of the book: Heritage
The Movable Heritage of Drăghia
The movable heritage of the Drăghia village, Maramureș County, is still around today thanks to a handful of people who diligently tended to the aged objects forsaken long ago. The old wooden church, built in 1706, is today a museum in which some of the age-old ritual objects, as well as other type of objects, are conserved. The decorations of the church, an important aspect over time, include various objects which today can be considered movable heritage. In this regard, the icons or paintings were highlighted by decorating them with decorative towels, woven by the village’s women. Other cloths, rugs and mats were also used for „dressing” the church. We will open the list of movable heritage objects with the key to the church, and tell its over 300-years old story. The icons, religious books, royal doors, banners, thurible, the two choir pews, the church bells, and the priest robes will complete our study. On the other hand, you can find an old shirt, a towel, a bench or some other object kept out of respect for their ancestors in almost every house in the village. The Radu families have impressive collections, having establishes a so-called personal museum.
Part of the book: Heritage
Alteration of the Cultural, Religious and Architectural Heritage from Lăpuș Land, in the Context of Climate Change
The architectural heritage is considered the most important category of cultural heritage; therefore, it requires special attention in the current state of climate change. The heritage presented in this chapter includes a total of 26 wooden churches located in Lăpuș Land, framed by UNESCO to the national heritage A and B category. Built on the present grounds or relocated, these are between 200 and 400 years old. Their degradation/alteration has been imminent over the decades due to aging and the socio-political conditions of the times. Alteration is a common notion in relation to the passage of time. The changes in environmental physical parameters, however, raise issues of sustainability of the buildings due to degradation. This paper wants to bring to the readers’ attention the importance and vulnerability of murals in wooden churches of Lăpuș County, which are an invaluable treasure, in terms of constructions, objects and traditions that require a civic responsibility for future generations in these difficult geopolitical conditions overlapping climate change.
Part of the book: Heritage