A milestone of Transylvanian built heritage: the birthplace of Albert Wass has been restored to its former glory - photos

The Bánffy Castle, restored with the support of the European Union and the Cluj County Assembly, was inaugurated in Válaszút, Transylvania. Located 25 km from Cluj-Napoca, the monument will become a cultural centre as part of the tourist circuit and has been restored over five years, with the exterior facades and interiors as well as the castle grounds.

The sculpture restoration work was carried out by sculptor Árpád Rostás and sculptor Csaba Balla, and the experts included stone restorer Tibor Kolozsi and art historian Attila Weisz. The European Union has supported the renovation of the Bánffy Castle with 20 million lei (HUF 1.5 billion). The EU grant, which was awarded in 2017, was matched by the Cluj County Municipality from its own budget.

99% of Transylvanian castle furnishings lost

At the opening ceremony on Thursday, it was revealed that the main value of the castle lies in the fact that it is one of the few Transylvanian noble residences to have preserved its entire interior. In Transylvania, only churches have mostly preserved their original furnishings, while 99 per cent of castles have lost their original furnishings.

Another historical significance of the project is that Albert Wass, a Transylvanian writer, was born in 1908 in this building in the village of Mezőség, whose numerous novels recall the villages, natural landscapes and inhabitants of Mezőség.

Architect Szabolcs Guttmann, who coordinated the design and restoration work, said that it is a miracle that the building's valuable wood panelling was not burnt or set on fire, and that the unique tiled stoves, which won prizes at the Paris World Fair, were left intact. In addition, the cellar was saved as an event space.

The wood panelling was also preserved during the restoration

The courtyard and the park of the castle have also been restored, which is also uncommon in Transylvania, and for the first time in Cluj County a real monument complex has been inaugurated. During the restoration, the wood panelling covering the walls had to be removed one by one to restore the walls, and then put back in place.

Architect László Tulogdy told MTI that the biggest challenge was to reconcile the details of the restoration process and to achieve a coherent overall effect. The castle was originally a residential building, so they wanted to keep its atmosphere, with quality furniture. 

The tiled stove, decorated with historical events, is one of the building's outstanding treasures

The castle at Sephardi was the summer residence of one of the most important noble families in Transylvania, the Bánffy family. It acquired its present form in the second half of the 19th century, and its greatest treasures are the intact interior walls.

The ground floor walls of the hall are clad in oak and ash with neo-Renaissance panelling.

The dining room features a green glazed tiled stove with reliefs depicting significant moments in Hungarian history on the two side walls.