The restoration of an Art Nouveau castle on the banks of the Mures continues

Restoration work on the Urbánczy Castle in Maroshegy, Hargita County, Székely Land, has resumed after a brief hiatus – reports hargitanepe.ro. The Art Nouveau (or Secessionist) style building, commissioned by Jenő Urbánczy, who was of Armenian descent, was built between 1903 and 1907 in the immediate vicinity of the Maros River and was designed by Tyrolean architect Vigilio Giacomuzzi.

As the newspaper also reports, the investment, which started last year and is worth around 22 million lei (around 1.75 billion forints in today's median prices), is being financed by the Romanian National Recovery Plan (PNRR). The tender will finance the complete renovation of the property, which will be declared a monument in 2019, and the management of the completed building and the employment of its staff will be carried out by the applicant Positive Transylvania Association," the tender summarises.

Fungus caused the temporary shutdown

The construction work, which started in 2024, had to be temporarily halted because of the overgrowth of the house fungus (serpula lacrymans) in the castle and its surroundings. Once the infestation has been eradicated, the specialists are currently working on the restoration of the roof structure and façade. In addition, drilling for a heat exchanger heating system has started and the renovation is on schedule.