Cluj-Napoca Art Museum

O expozitie de icoane religioase pe lemn la Muzeul de Arta Cluj. Sala luminoasa si simpla pune in valoare operele traditionale, oferind un cadru elegant pentru admirarea acestora.

Address: Unirii Square, no. 30

Phone: (004) 0264-596.952; (004) 0264-596.953; (004) 0753-066.791

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Web: www.macluj.ro

Schedule: Wednesday–Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00.

 

Established in 1951, Cluj-Napoca Art Museum had older patrimony collections: an art collection from the former Transylvanian Museum and especially the collection of “Virgil Cioflec” art gallery.

The museum is localized in Banffy Palace, built during 1774-1785 as a private residence of count Gheorghe Bánffy, governor of Transylvania, by the German architect Johann Eberhard Blaumann.

The National Gallery represents the permanent exhibition of Cluj-Napoca Art Museum, carried out in 21 rooms at the upper floor of the building. The patrimony of Cluj-Napoca Art Museum comprises over 13.000 valuable exhibits of Romanian and universal art (15th – 21st centuries), made of paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, decorative arts and documentary collections.

“Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park

O casa traditionala din lemn, cu acoperis de sindrila, expusa in Parcul Etnografic Romulus Vuia, inconjurata de verdeata si peisaj rural.

Address: Tăietura Turcului Street, FN

Phone: (004) 0783-005.146

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.muzeul-etnografic.ro

Schedule: Wednesday–Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00 (summer schedule)

                   Wednesday–Sunday: 09:00 – 16:00 (winter schedule)

Established on April 12, 1929, “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park is an open-air museum and one of the two sections of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. This section was named “Romulus Vuia”, thus paying homage to the personality of the founder of this park.

The first sector includes technical installations and peasant workshops dating from the 18th – 20th centuries, which illustrate the traditional techniques of wood and iron processing, gold getting, wool fabrics processing, clay and stone processing, cereals crushing and obtaining the edible oil. The second sector contains traditional peasant households representative for distinct ethnographic areas in Transylvania, including constructions dating from the 17th and 20th centuries, equipped with the whole necessary household inventory.

Three of the most beautiful wooden churches in Transylvania are preserved in the “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park: The Church from Cizer, Sălaj County, built in 1773 by Nicola Ursu (Horea); The church from Chiraleş, Bistriţa Năsăud County, 17th century and the Church from Petrindu, Sălaj County, dated in 1612.

The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania

O expozitie din Muzeul Etnografic al Transilvaniei, cu unelte de pescuit traditionale, o barca din lemn si o fotografie de fundal alb-negru.

Address: Memorandumului Street, no. 21

Phone: (004) 0783-005.146

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.muzeul-etnografic.ro

Schedule: Wednesday – Sunday: 10:00-18:00

The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania was established in 1922. The headquarters is located in the “Reduta” building, in the room with the same name being held the well-known political trial known as the “Trial of the Memorandists”. In 1929, an open-air museum was added to the pavilion exhibition, the first in Romania, called the “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park.

The current permanent exhibition is entitled “Folk culture in Transylvania -18th – 20th century”, opened in 2006, and approaches the main fields of material and spiritual culture in rural Transylvania, illustrated by representative exhibits, selected from over 40,000 artifacts from the collections of the museum institution.

The exhibition includes: podotactile bands (for the blind people), showcases with traditional harvest wreaths, showcases with Jewish cult pieces, exhibits evoking birth, childhood (swing, chair and support for learning to walk, toys grouped per genders) and youth (elements from props of boy bands, symbolic gifts made by girls’ lads). The exhibits that evoke birth, childhood and youth are grouped into two exhibition modules that precede the traditions sector: those in the life cycle (wedding, funeral), those over the year (Christmas, New Year, Epiphany, Easter) and spring (Sângiorzul, Plugarul).

Câmpia Turzii Reformed Calvinist Church

Biserica Reformat-Calvina Campia Turzii, o cladire alba cu acoperis rosu si turn, inconjurata de un gard de piatra si spatii verzi.

The Reformed-Calvinist Church in Câmpia Turzii was built by a testamentary donation of the Calvinist prince of Transylvania Ferenc Rhédei and is documented in 1680 – this year we find it on a plaque inside the church and on the bell tower. At the time of its construction it was the church of Ghiriș Arieș locality, being documented in 1219, and it is currently the oldest preserved building in the Câmpia Turzii area.

The church is part of the fortified churches category of Transylvania built in the Baroque style. The defense wall has a circumference of 75 m and a thickness of 60 cm, is supported by buttresses and has holes for observation and retaliation in case of attack. Countess Serédi Sophia financially supported the construction of the entrance portal on which are carved the year 1702, the name and coat of arms of the countess. In 1786, the interior was restored and the vault was repaired with the help of Countess Rachel Kendeffy, whose name is inscribed on a marble plaque placed to the left of the pulpit. From its construction until now, it has remained the parish church of the local Reformed-Calvinist community.

Turda Synagogue

Sinagoga Turda, o cladire cu fatada simpla de culoare deschisa, avand trei ferestre arcuite si detalii decorative in partea superioara.

How we arrive

In Turda, in the interwar period, there was a significant Jewish community. In the place where there was a house that served as a place of prayer for this community a synagogue was built between 1921-1926.

The building situated on Mihai Eminescu Street, no. 1 is made in eclectic style with elements of Moorish style, and on the southern and northern facades we encounter two lions in bas relief – the lion being the symbol of the tribe of Judah.

“St. Michael and Gabriel” Turda Orthodox Church

Biserica Ortodoxa Sfintii Mihail si Gavril Turda, o cladire impunatoare cu turnuri albe si cupole, situata intr-un parc verde si ingrijit.

How we arrive

The Orthodox Church “Saints Michael and Gabriel” in the center of Turda was built between 1926-1935 on a land donated by the Romanian Church United with Rome. The style is the NeoByzantine one with architectural elements specific to the Romanian architectural styles. The elements of originality are represented by the use of two distinct architectural elements. The first element is the bell tower, made in the form of an Oltenian tower, a tribute to the ruler Mihai Viteazul who managed the first political union of the Romanian principalities and was assassinated near Turda. The second element is the use of the support model of the vaults in the Moldavian style developed during the reign of Steven the Great, which led to the realization of an opening in 5.40 m diameter of the central tower.

The architect who made the plans for this monumental building was Ioan Traianescu, the interior painting and icons being the work of some famous church painters of the time: Paul Molda and Gheorghe Belizarie. Inside the church there is a large mural painting depicting King Carol II of Romania in the uniform of a mountain hunting general with the cape of the Order of Michael the Brave – this order being the most important military distinction of war offered by the Romanian state. 

“New Turda” Turda Reformed-Calvinist Church

Biserica Reformat-Calvina Turda Noua, o cladire simpla de culoare alba cu un turn inalt, inconjurata de copaci si vegetatie densa.

The Calvinist Church New Turda from Basarabia Square, was built in the 15th century in Gothic style, having elements of early Gothic, the present form dating from 1504. This year is indicated by an inscription with Gothic alphabet on the southern buttress. It is a hall church, with a bell tower on the West facade. The defensive wall dates back to the 15th century, which at that time had 6 semicircular bastions and a square one. Today is just one semicircular bastion, where we find incised the year 1870, as well as the square bastion.

The Reformed-Calvinist Church “Turda Veche” Turda

Biserica Reformată Turda Veche

How we arrive

In the center of Turda, there is the current Reformed-Calvinist church “Turda Veche”. The church was built on the site of the former Augustinian monastery which ended in 1550-1560. The church preserves the central nave of the Augustinian church with the elements specific to the Gothic style that can be found on the west façade, with five buttresses on the north façade. During the Middle Ages this church was located at the southern end of the medieval city. During General Basta’s rule in Transylvania, the church suffered significant damage. It was rebuilt in the 17th century with the support of Prince George Rákóczi I and became a Reformed-Calvinist church. During the war of the Kuruts, it suffered other damages, and it will be rebuilt in the next century.

 The pipe organ in the church dates from 1812. The most beautiful element of the interior is the pulpit carved in 1824 in gray marble by the sculptor Antal Csűrös. The monumental clock tower is approx. 60 meters and was built between 1904-1906.

The Roman-Catholic Church “Saint Mary” Turda

Biserica Romano-Catolica Sfanta Maria Turda, o cladire inalta de culoare deschisa, cu o fatada simpla si elemente arhitecturale clasice.

How we arrive

In the city of Turda is one of the important places for the history of Christianity in Europe: the Roman Catholic church “Saint Mary”. The building was built at the end of the 15th century, on the site of another older church. The style of construction is Gothic, on the buttresses from the south side there are several inscriptions with Gothic characters, like the years: 1478, 1489 and 1504.

The vault keys of the old church, from the 15th century, which keep the inscription “Cheile Sf. Petru 1472”, are located in the parish house. The first edict of religious tolerance in Europe was adopted in this church in 1568. By this decree, the Roman Catholic confession, the Lutheran confession, the Calvinist confession and the Unitarian confession are recognized as confessions accepted in Transylvania.

The Orthodox Church “Saint Pious Paraschiva” from Feleacu

Biserica Ortodoxa Sfanta Cuvioasa Paraschiva din Feleacu, o cladire mica cu acoperis rosu din tigla, amplasata intr-o zona linistita si verde

In the Feleacu village, 8 km from the city of Cluj-Napoca, on the road that connects the city of Cluj-Napoca and Turda, the ruler Stephen the Great of Moldova founded the archbishopric church “Saint Pious Paraschiva”. The church was completed during the time of Metropolitan Daniil, around 1488, and was for several decades the cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Church of Transylvania. Built in Gothic style, the church resembles those built in Moldova, with two portals of different types. One was on the west side of the church for women’s access, and the second was on the south side to facilitate men’s access to the nave.

Inside, there is a painting from the 18th century, the Gothic vault of the iconostasis being painted in fresco technique by the painters of the iconography school from Feleacu. The royal icons from Feleacu are painted by Nistor Zugravul, one of the masters of Byzantine painting in Transylvania, some of the icons being dated 1770. Starting with the 18th century, Feleacu became one of the important iconographic centers of Transylvania. Currently, in the church “Saint Pious Paraschiva”, religious services are held only occasionally, inside there is an impressive collection of icons on glass and a permanent exhibition with documents and traditional costumes of the Feleacu community.