Ascension of the Lord Wooden Church in Jupânești

About Ascension of the Lord Wooden Church in Jupânești

Jupânești is a village in Coșești commune, in the north of Argeș County, and its wooden church, dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord, was built in 1742, in the reign of Prince Mihai Racoviță. The inscription on the west wall dates it to “the year 7250”, which is 1742. Among its founders are the merchant Necula Eneotu, known as Grecu, from Tămășești (Gorj), who adorned with this church the village where he had made his fortune, and Necula Râmleanu, brother-in-law of the priest Mihăilă. Villagers also recall an older wooden church on the same spot, with the priest Vladu, mentioned in a charter of Matei Basarab of 1636; its timber is said to have been reused at the entrance of the new church. The building has been a historic monument since 1892, LMI code AG-II-m-A-13714, and was restored in 1959.

The church is built of broad oak beams, some 45–50 cm wide, joined with dovetails, under a shingle roof. The plan is a simple rectangle, with the nave separated from the narthex by a wooden partition, and the floor is of stone slabs. At some point, probably in the second half of the 19th century, a wide porch and an open bell tower were added; the porch served as the village meeting place and as its first school. The walls are decorated with twisted rope around the windows and the building, a median belt and horse-head brackets.

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the village of Jupânești belongs to Coșești commune, in Argeș County, and is reached by the DJ731D. The church stands in the village, in a graveyard.

Public transport: no regular connection to the village is confirmed; a car is the safer option.

Rules

This is a working parish church: dress modestly and keep quiet during services. Before photographing inside, ask the person who opens it for permission. The surrounding graveyard is in use: please respect the graves.