“St. Elijah the Prophet” wooden church at Petriș, Bistrița-Năsăud

Received as a gift at the beginning of the last century, the wooden church dedicated to “St.  Elijah the Prophet” still watches over the old cemetery of the Petriș village. It was transported by wagons from Ilva Mare, rebuilt between 1901 and 1903.

With its fir wood walls, placed on a solid river stone foundation, the church stands out for its simplicity and modesty.

Inside, your eyes will be drawn to the wonderful carved décor of the royal doors and the valuable icons painted on wood. Among the beautiful objects that adorn the holy place, the pure white towels stand out, sewn with traditional Romanian motifs by hard-working women in the Petriș village, as a sincere testimony of the love of God.

The little church is always prepared to welcome guests, so make your way this way, dear traveller!

The Petriș village was mentioned for the first time more than 700 years ago, more precisely, in 1311, the document mentioning the existence of Romanians in these places since 1260. 

At that time, the locality was called Saint Peter. Between the Romanians here and the Saxons from Husalserfen there was a trial, tried in Bistrița, which the Saxons won, thus occupying the Saint Peter village and calling it Petresdorf. 

The Romanians who settled here lived on the southern outskirts of the village, being mostly servants of the Saxons.  No less than 40 families depended on the Ragla parish in 1900, which is why the Romanians in Petriș received the wooden church in Ilva Mare as a gift, including icons and the iconostasis.

The iconostasis of the church, the royal doors and the deacon doors are all made of wood. The paintings are also directly on wood. 

The icon of St. Demetrius bears the signature “ Tudor the Painter”. The icon of Jesus the Good Shepherd is signed by the painter Vasilică from Cătina.

The royal doors are carved, with medallions depicting the Evangelists and the Annunciation. On the right side of the royal door there is an inscription, which mentions the date when the old church in Ilva Mare was built, namely the year 1778, but most likely, when the church was rebuilt, the year was changed from 1748 to 1778.

The area is a real treasure for hiking enthusiasts. The Via Transilvanica route also crosses the Cetate commune, passing right in front of the church in Petriș.  

In addition, hikers can also stop at the "Dealu-Negru" hunting lodge or in the "Orheiu-Bistriței Forest" natural reserve, known for the motley tulip.