The wooden church "John Chrysostom" Stâncești, Bihor

Once upon a time, the wooden church in Stâncești, the former village of Broaște, was surrounded by houses. Then the village lined up with the road and moved slightly away from it. Now you can see it from afar, because its silhouette rises up in the valley of Crișului Pietros, in the middle of a meadow that stretches to the shadow of the mountains.

It bears the patron saint "St. John Chrysostom" and in 1752 it was being built. A few years later, David the Painter painted it. And, because the money ran out, he couldn't paint the whole thing. However, he masterfully painted the royal doors, the iconostasis and some icons still preserved in the new church.

Pierced only by the light of the small windows, like two eyes, the body of the church resists. Maybe because it is surrounded by an outer belt, a twisted rope, carved in wood, a symbol of infinity or maybe even of human DNA.

Enter to discover something new: the crosses of heroes and the cenotaphs, which with their warm colors enliven the walls of the little church. Made of wood, carved and painted with Christian symbols, such as the Sun, the sunflower or the cross, the cenotaphs are dedicated to the memory of people from the village, who died far from their native land.

When you get here, be prepared to discover the story of this church with a human soul.

Dating back to the 18th century, the place of worship in Stâncești is representative of the church architecture specific to Beiuș County.

The painting of the church began around 1756 and, although it is now preserved only in small portions, it gives a special importance to the religious edifice.

According to the inscriptions on the pillars or doors of the iconostasis, David Zugravu from Curtea de Argeș is the one who painted the royal and deaconess doors and probably the entire iconostasis. The harmony of colors, the expressive figures and the meticulousness with which all the details were made, including the motifs inspired by the famous fabrics around Beiuș, denote the mastery and talent of the painter.

In the new church of the village, 4 icons painted on wood by David Zugravul were moved, depicting "Jesus Christ Blessing", "The Mother of God with the Child", "Saint Nicholas" and "Michael the Archangel", the latter icon keeping even the painter's signature on the right side.

In the inventory of the church, you can also find the cenotaphs, symbolic decorative elements, specific to the wooden churches in Beiuș Land. Richly ornamented with painted or carved Christian signs, they are most commonly made of wood and are placed on the exterior or interior walls of monuments, in memory of those who died far from their birthplaces.

In addition to the wooden churches that can still be visited in Beiuș Land, the area also includes numerous natural attractions where you can recreate, such as the Ferice Plai and Hoanca nature reserve, the Stâna de Vale resort, as well as many caves, springs, gorges and waterfalls.

In addition, the traditional Bihor villages here will surely impress you with their crafts and elements of folk culture.

The village of Stâncești is located just a few kilometers away from Beiuș, certified as a tourist resort of local interest, where you can enjoy the anthropic beauties and the presence of geothermal water and the bioclimate.