The Urmanczy Castle

The Urmánczy Castle once dominated the Mureș Plain with its slender tower and volumetrics, composed of several adjoined volumes. The thick walls, placed on a massive stone foundation, give the construction an air that deliberately resembles that of a medieval castle, but they surprise us with bold elements of the Secession style, a specific Viennese variation of Art-Nouveau. 

The Urmánczy family has strongly marked the history of this place with their contribution to the social and cultural life of Toplița. A walk through the castle and its surroundings helps us understand more about the life and ambitions of this noble family, but also the abrupt way in which wars and communism irremediably changed the life of a thriving society.

Today, the castle is again included in the community life. The Urmánczy descendants came back into possession of the building and carry on the generous spirit of the family through the Positive Transylvania foundation. More than a tourist attraction, it is now a location that hosts cultural and artistic events, but also a place of promenade and relaxation, by its position in the heart of the Toplița town.

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The castle was built near the Mureș River, between 1903 and 1906, at the order of the Armenian nobleman Jeromos Urmánczy, according to a project developed by the Tyrolean architect Vigilio Giacomuzzi. Although originally intended as a family residence, it was used very little for this purpose. Shortly after the completion of construction, during the First World War, the castle was occupied by the 14th Infantry Division of the Romanian Army. The owners returned to the castle around 1920, but in 1945 they were banished and their entire fortune was confiscated. 

Since then, the building has undergone various functions, which required numerous changes both inside and outside. It was used as a hospital and maternity ward or as the headquarters of the Ethnography and Folklore Museum. In 2006 it was transformed into the Toplița Cultural Centre. Since 2009 it has been managed by the Positive Transylvania Association.

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The castle rooms were lined up around an impressive English-type central hallway. The architect of the castle, Vigilio Giacomuzzi, was influenced by various stylistic trends of that period and included Secessionist elements, such as the wavy frieze on the south-eastern façade. Other stylistic elements were closer to the geometric shapes specific to the artistic movement in Vienna. 

The defining features of the architecture include solid exposed stone foundations, a high roof with an asymmetrical slope and the shingle roofing, as well as the carved wooden gazebo, elements taken from the architecture of traditional buildings. The architects of the castle may also have been influenced by the promoters of the Arts and Crafts movement.

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The Urmánczy family

The Urmánczy family was the main supporter of the religious denominations in the locality. We find them among the donors to the Catholic, Reformed, and Orthodox churches. They founded a school on their own land and at their own expense; an old family house served as a Red Cross hospital. They built the first tennis and football field in the area. The Urmánczy baths in the center of the locality were renowned for their healing properties and for hosting the first swimming pool where sports competitions were organized.