Nativity of the Virgin Wooden Church, Călinești Căeni

The wooden church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin stands in the lower part of the village of Călinești (Josani, also called Căeni), Călinești commune, Maramureș County, in the Cosău Valley, 23 km south of Sighetu Marmației. The commune has two wooden churches; the other is the church in Călinești Susani. The church dates from before 1663. It is built of oak and was widened by more than 3 metres to the north in the 19th century; the additions are of fir, which gives the building a visible asymmetry. The porch on the south side was probably added at the same time. The interior keeps a set of wall paintings from 1754 by Alexandru Ponehalschi. The nave vault shows God the Father ("the Ancient of Days") with the Holy Spirit as a dove, accompanied by seraphim, and the lower part of the vault shows the first chapters of Genesis. In the sanctuary there are the Protection of the Mother of God, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Christ the True Vine, the communion scenes of Saints Onuphrius and Zosimas, and the Sacrifice of the prophet Elijah. The church is a class A historic monument, LMI code MM-II-m-A-04539, dated "before 1663, extended in the 19th century".