Visitors to Daniel Castle in Talisoara, Covasna County, can get an idea of what the social life of 17th century upper class looked like thanks to a series of mural frescoes uncovered during restoration works, which reveal scenes from the life of the local aristocracy. According to the castle's owner, Lilla Racz, these paintings functioned as a visual record of the family's important events and alliances.
Daniel Castle (actually a mansion), built in the first half of the 17th century, was purchased nearly a decade ago by a young couple who left Bucharest and their corporate careers to restore the building and bring it back to life. During the restoration works, they discovered a secret room - still unexplained today - and several mural paintings that now form the basis of a permanent exhibition inside the castle museum.
"We often say, half-jokingly, that here in Talisoara we discovered the Facebook of the 17th century, because just as in our families today, when something important happens, we take photos and post them on our Facebook wall, with the same representational purpose the members of the Daniel family asked for the walls of the former ballrooms and meeting halls to be painted all around with the most important scenes from the family's social and political rise, so that the people coming to the castle for balls or gatherings would see that they were dealing with a family of high noble rank," Racz explained for AGERPRES.
Three of these scenes are reproduced in the exhibition, including a banquet hosted for Prince Bethlen Gábor of Transylvania, who was once a guest of the family. The paintings also offer insight into customs of the time, such as dining etiquette: guests brought their own knives, and a single fork was passed around the table.
Other murals depict episodes from the family's history. One shows Daniel János, founder of the estate, serving as master of ceremonies at the wedding of Prince Sigismund Rákóczi. Historical accounts say he was also responsible for finding the prince a suitable bride, one with noble origins, education, wealth, and agreeable appearance. The first wedding ceremony took place in Germany, at the bride's home, without the groom present.
Racz notes that many other stories are painted on the castle walls, waiting to be discovered by visitors.
Tourists traveling through Covasna County can explore not only Daniel Castle but also several traditional workshops. In Talisoara, blacksmith Nagy György continues the craft in his forge, while in Varghis, the Suto family has been painting furniture for 15 generations. Their home preserves a traditional front room with hand-painted chests, corner benches, and a unique built-in "refrigerator" placed in the north wall to keep food cool.
One of the most intriguing local traditions is that of the "talking chairs", once common in Székely households. According to Suto István, the 15th-generation craftsman, the chairs symbolized the man and woman of the house. If the chair backs faced each other, it signaled harmony; if turned away, it indicated conflict. Visitors familiar with the custom would check the chairs immediately upon entering a home.
The Suto workshop also preserves other regional customs, such as hanging boots from the ceiling beam next to the hat, both for practical reasons and as a sign of the homeowner's presence.
Covasna County is home to many other artisans who keep traditional crafts alive, including gingerbread makers, coopers, potters, weavers, woodcarvers, and stonecutters. The Guilds Museum in Targu Secuiesc dedicates significant space to these trades, presenting their history from the 1400s onward. One example: old-time bootmakers crafted boots on a single last, so they had to be rotated daily to wear evenly.
The Covasna Tourism Development Association recently launched a digital tourist map of the county, offering quick access to more than 130 attractions, including natural sites, wellness centers, trails, monuments, museums, manor houses, and castles. According to the association's director, Deák Gyöngyvér, the map is available online free of charge and helps visitors plan their trips and discover both well-known and lesser-known destinations in the region.
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