The wooden church St. Paraskeva from Pianu de Sus

It is made of wood, but gold has been mined from the earth on which it stands. In the cemetery of the "Cuvioasa Paraschiva" Church in Pianu de Sus, you can still find wooden funeral pillars, beautifully decorated, inlaid with the XIII symbol, from the period of Roman colonization, where the XIII Gemini Legion was stationed.

Sufficient belts of carvings, stars in the corners, rosettes with spokes climb the pillars of the elevation from Pianu, hiding the same heritage as those in the old cemeteries throughout the land.

Today's church stands out for its architecture typical of the disappeared places of worship from the entire Pian valley. It preserves valuable heritage items, but also a painting of rare beauty.

With an unusual history, the wooden Church in Pianu de Sus bears the stamp of simplicity and modesty typical of old but authentic churches.

It is said that on the site of the current church there would have been another one, made of rods and plastered with earth. The wooden church was built around it in 1761, and after the construction was finished, the rods church was damaged from the inside.

Time and neglect have left their mark on the place so much that, in 1918, during the rehabilitation works, the pronaos room and part of the nave were abandoned. Today, in the structure of the building, we find only the altar and a small part of the nave, the tower being moved to the preserved side.

During the First World War the bells from the new church were raised. As a result, the bell from the tower of the old wooden church was moved to the new church, bearing the inscription: "Romanian piano, father Moise, father Ioan 1761".

According to the church inscription, the painting was made in 1761, most likely by Iacov from Rășinari. This was not completed in the same year, the pronaos being painted by the artists of the Laz school. Savu the painter, together with Simion the painter, also paints the beautifully carved candlesticks. The painting was carefully painted on a canvas stuck to the wooden walls.

Of the painting made in 1761, only the one in the altar is preserved to this day. After analyzing it, it turned out that one or more post-Brancoveanu painters worked here. They created, with great talent, faces with round and expressive faces, as well as beautifully decorated garments. 

In the immediate vicinity of the town where the wooden church is located, i.e. in Pianu de Jos, the evangelical church complex, which dates back to the 13th century, awaits you.

Interesting to see for any visitor, but especially for those passionate about the history of the place, is the Paleolithic archaeological site "Podei" in Pianu de Jos or the Ethnographic Exhibition, which includes various documents and old objects, illustrating the life of the inhabitants of the area.