The “Archangels Michael and Gabriel” wooden church in Beznea, Bihor

True masterpiece of folk art, the “ Archangels Michael and Gabriel” wooden church in Beznea is one of the most beautiful monuments of church architecture, considered the largest wooden church in Bihor County.

Built in 1723, from oak beams joined in “butterfly wings”, girded with a carved belt, like a “braided rope” and a porch decorated with hearts, the church welcomes you warm and friendly. The interior is simply adorned with hand-sewn towels and old icons painted on wood.

Small windows let in a pale light that creates the impression of mysterious communion with the Divine. The church keeps in the archives 49 titles of church books printed between 1720 and 1956.

The elders of the village say that on the Church Hill there was a church “on sliding soles that could be pulled” and that it “was pulled with the oxen from Filipi” and “the old priests were in peasant clothes, with traditional white coats”.

And if you are a lover of nature, from here you can take short hikes to Boiului Waterfall or to Brătcuței Valley, a holiday small village. On the Crișul Repede Meadow where you can camp, swim and fish. Or to the north in the Plopișului Mountains, where you can see the Hippurites limestone, traces of the ice age in Crișului Valley.

Over time, the church was embellished and renovated to preserve it as well as possible. The first works took place in 1864, when the interior painting was restored and the place of worship was enlarged and the loft and pronaos were added. Craftsmen Micula Pavel and Teodor Tonțiu were not only those who participated in the execution of this addition, but were also among those who spent for it. In the added part of the church, one can see that the “braided rope” is not carved into the beam, but was made separately and nailed. 

A century later, between 1964 and 1965, important renovation works were carried out by masters Butiri Teodor, Marcu Ioan, Vereș Constantin and Brudașca Dumitru.

The painting made at the end of the 18th century, more precisely in 1777, has been preserved to this day, enlisted in the post-Brancoveanu current. The painter who made these enduring religious representations used both canvas and wood as a support, rigorously applying the principles of Byzantine painting. 

Also, the painting of the iconostasis and the altar apse reveals a traditional iconography. The royal doors are Baroque inspired, with an impressive elegance, with pairs of medallions on 3 levels. The silhouettes, contours and expressiveness of the figures confirm the talent of the one who painted this particularly valuable place.