The Gyárfás Mansion

We are right here, in the heart of the picturesque town of Cristuru Secuiesc, where the Gyárfás Mansion is – a historical jewel built in three stages starting with 1728, bearing the story of the past and the legends that keep it alive.

 

As soon as you set foot in the Gyárfás Park you feel it is not an ordinary place. Its flourishing history reached its climax during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-1849, when it became a refuge for soldiers fighting fiercely on the battlefield.

 

At that time, Petőfi Sándor, seen as the greatest poet of Hungarian literature, spent the night of July 30 to 31 in the mansion - the last night before his death on the Albești battlefield.

 

Walking gently through the park's alleys, you will notice that all lead to Petőfi's Pear Tree. The legend goes that Petőfi Sándor wrote his last poem and recited his “A thought is troubling me...”, through which he seems to have predicted his tragic death the next day, right under this old tree.

 

The only witness, however, is the tree, which today has become an important memorial to the Hungarian community. One thing is certain - Petőfi was here, he created here, and his soul will always remain here.

 

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On the current site of the Gyárfás Mansion there are buildings since the Middle Ages, as it was the estate of a Szekler family in Cristur. Even the remains of a 10th-century church were found in this garden.

 

In the late medieval period, the mansion belonged to Demeter Nyújtódi's family. Then, the Wesselényi noblemen family rebuilt it in three stages - information found on the stone plate above the main entrance. The last owner was the Lécfalvi Gyárfás family and the mansion went through a renovation stage in 1888.

 

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Important inventory

 

The most important testimony of the past linking the legends or historical events to the Gyárfás Mansion is the very old pear tree, under which Petőfi Sándor would have written his last poem. 

 

Petőfi's glass is another preserved object, directly related to the events that happened here. It is made of green crystal, with a golden sole and decorations and was used by the poet during the evening spent at the mansion. The object is currently at the History Museum in Cluj-Napoca.

 

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The Days of Cristuru Secuiesc, usually held around July 31, is the most important event, including commemorative events of the poet Petőfi Sándor and the ones of the freedom struggles in the Revolution of 1848-49. In this context, locals and guests can taste “Petőfi's last supper” - polenta with milk and cheese.