Marcu-Istrate, Daniela - Rusu, Adrian Andrei - Szőcs Péter Levente (szerk.): Arhitectura religioasă medievală din Transilvania 3. (Satu Mare, 2004)
Alexandru Baboş: Invisible features in the Design of the Timber Curches of Maamureş
Alexandru BâBOŞ corroborated to the width, being shorter usually with 1 or 2 ells. An exception from this system is the remarkable sanctuary at Steblivka, with a length of 10 ells, and a width of 9 ells. It has no less importance, that the height of this small space was also related to its width. The roof. The size of a roof was given by the length of the paired rafters. These rafters were often determined by the distance between the eaves’ purlins, which fixed them. The distance resulted from the ground-plan width of the church could be reduced by the inner-consoles or extended by the outstretched-consoles. This practice may seem complicated, but it provides the proper slope to keep the snow away. Such roofs were built at leud Deal, Borşa din Jos, Mănăstirea Bârsana, Mănăstirea Giuleşti and Călineşti Căeni. This way of dimensioning the rafters, was amply explained by the elders from Berbeşti in the 20lh century at their old houses. 7 The carpenters took the distance between the eaves’ purlins with a long pole, and used this value as a standard for all the rafters. Sometimes, to the standard pole one ell- like at Hărniceşti and Budeşti Josani - was added. In case of Sârbi Josani 2 ells were added to this value, while at Apşa din Jos Părău the pole was shortened with 1 ell and at Sârbi Susani with 2 ells. On the other hand, at Rona de Jos the 7 yards long rafters were dimensioned after the church’s starting width, and at Vişeul de Jos the rafters were established 1 yard longer than the starting width. The roof of the sanctuary was made often separately. Many times, their rafters followed the same pattern as those of the large roof, but in some cases - like at leud Deal - they were 1,5 times bigger than the distance between the eaves’ purlins. As a consequence, the rafters were not dimensioned by chance, but after a reference width, in some cases adding or subtracting to this value. The tower. The carpenters activating in Maramureş, were never obsessed by the height of the tower as they are today. The sizes of the tower were always harmoniously linked to the already erected parts, and therefore, it is highly interesting to see their hidden frameworks. Apparently, the tower can be seen as a distinct structure. Since it was risen above the narthex, its dimensions were always related to the bearing structure beneath. As a consequence, the carpenter had to take some important decisions, in order to establish the final height of a tower: the level above the floor for the basement, the width and the height of the neck, the sizes of the bell chamber, and the height of the spire. The basement of the tower at Budeşti Josani was enclosed in the structure of the building, between the last two row of beams, about 8/2 ells above the stone floor. Considering this detail in each case, this was the most common method to create the basement of the tower. At leud Deal, Sârbi 17 17 Gh. Focşa, Valori perene, 139. 296
