Biserica de Lemn Sfinţii Arhangheli

The wooden church in the village of Băița, located in the commune of Lunca, Mureș County, was built in 1723. It is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

It is believed that the current church, dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, has its origins in the 17th century. It is located at the foot of the Turn hill, from where a beautiful panorama opens up over the village. The first mentions of this church appear in the writings of Kelemen Lajos, who approached the subject with interest and passion. He was impressed by the carved frame, the candlestick and the wooden chandelier, as well as the interior painting, which shows characters dressed in traditional Romanian clothing.

Kelemen Lajos reported that the church was brought from the town of Bilac. However, there are voices that claim that the place was built directly in Băița, given the existence of similar churches in the surrounding area. This hypothesis is also supported by some natural questions: why would the locals have transported a wooden church from a considerable distance, especially since they had plenty of wood for construction, and how is it explained that, in the same period, according to tradition, the people of Bilac brought a church from Satu Nou? Interestingly, both churches have an almost identical architectural plan.

On the beam between the narthex and the nave is engraved the inscription "years of the Lord 1723", but its lower part was cut off to increase the height of the entrance. It is assumed that this date does not mark the actual construction of the church, but the establishment of the united parish, considering that, traditionally, in wooden churches, the year of construction was chiseled on the upper beam of the first entrance.

The church is built of fir beams, placed on a solid oak foundation, and has a rectangular plan. The altar apse is polygonal, with five sides and is unhooked, and the western part of the narthex is also polygonal, but with three sides – a plan form often found in the architecture of churches in Romania.

In the corners of the building, the beams join in a dovetail, and those in the upper part meet in beautifully ornamented consoles, arranged in an inclined plane. These consoles, also present inside, support the semi-cylindrical vault of the nave.

The vault of the altar is also semi-cylindrical in shape and is intersected by three curved strips. The narthex has a straight ceiling, most likely installed during the period when a bell tower was temporarily built above it. To strengthen the structure of the walls, the ends of the beams in the lower part were significantly extended. Near the foundation, on an oak beam, there is a belt carved in the shape of a rope, with an accentuated profile.

During the period when the church was consecrated or re-consecrated, the apse of the altar and possibly other compartments were painted. A Slavonic text found in the Proscomidia area refers to this stage, but unfortunately it is badly damaged. From the apse painting, representations of Mary Oranta together with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, as well as images of the Holy Trinity and angels, most likely dating from 1732, are still preserved.

The painting of 1765 is linked to the painting made on the wall separating the various rooms, where military saints such as Theodore, Hypatius, George, Tiron and Demetrius are depicted, as well as pious saints, including Theodesia of the Cave and Anthony the Great. The painting in the nave also dates from the second half of the 18th century, and seems to be the result of the work of painters from the artistic center of the monastery in Băița.

Of the iconographic ensemble, it is worth mentioning the passions of the apostles, along with those of the Savior Jesus Christ, as well as the parable of the virgins. The vault is decorated in registers, separated by floral borders, arranged both horizontally and vertically. The altar depicts the figures of the holy fathers, along with portraits of popes and patriarchs, such as Sylvester of Rome, Mitrofan of Constantinople, Euthymius of Antioch and Macarius of Jerusalem. The walls are painted on panels delimited by profiled battens, a technique often found in Mureș County.

In 1958, the church underwent a restoration process. A new shingle roof was installed, with accentuated slopes, which respects the shape of the old roof and highlights the contours of the walls. The bell tower, located nearby, which has two levels, was also renovated. However, in the meantime, a new brick church has been built in the village, and the old wooden church, of exceptional historical and artistic value, located on the hill, appears to have been abandoned and is in urgent need of repairs.

Sursa: ro.wikipedia.org