The former "Versailles of Transylvania"
By the end of the 1990s, the castle once known as the “Transylvanian Versailles” had fallen into complete ruin. The current owner of the building ensemble is Katalin Bánffy, daughter of Count Miklós Bánffy, who resides in Morocco. Under a 49-year concession agreement signed in 2007, she entrusted the castle to the Transylvania Trust Foundation. More information about the building and related activities can be found at the following website: www.banffycastle.ro.
By the end of the 1990s, the castle once known as the “Transylvanian Versailles” had fallen into complete ruin. The current owner of the building ensemble is Katalin Bánffy, daughter of Count Miklós Bánffy, who resides in Morocco. Under a 49-year concession agreement signed in 2007, she entrusted the castle to the Transylvania Trust Foundation. More information about the building and related activities can be found at the following website: www.banffycastle.ro.
The castle has hosted training programmes in built heritage conservation since 2001, where students contribute to the restoration works on the building ensemble year by year, as during the practical workshops, they train on the historical monument itself. So far, the restoration of the kitchen building has been completed, which now houses a cultural café, along with a kitchen, dining room and guest rooms to support the training programme. Two levels and part of the upper storey of the rebuilt Miklós Building are now home to classrooms, offices and guest rooms for the invited teachers. The structural reinforcement of the main building and the partial restoration of its western wing have also been completed, with a permanent exhibition titled Miklós Bánffy’s Force Fields on display at the ground floor. The chapel, part of the main building (eastern wing), now functions as a community centre and is also home to exhibitions, namely the Lost & Found Lapidarium, as well as the digital exhibition The Lost Statues of Bánffy Castle, Bonțida. The stable, which is currently under restoration, temporarily hosts the restoration workshops but also serves as a multifunctional space, offering an alternative venue for film screenings, classical music concerts and theatre performances. The carriage house is also undergoing restoration, where permanent vocational training workshops will be established.
Chronology of the Restoration of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida:
2000: Thanks to an application by the Transylvania Trust, the castle was included in the list of the world’s 100 most endangered buildings by World Monuments Watch. The start of restoration work was made possible by an agreement signed in 1999 between the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest and the National Heritage Ministry in Budapest. The Ministry of Culture in Bucharest also supported the partial restoration of the main building’s roof. Since 2001, the foundation has been organizing an international built heritage restoration training program at the castle, and the cultural café was opened in the former kitchen building that same year.
2003: With the support of the World Monuments Fund, the structure of the Miklós building was reinforced, and the roof was completed. In 2004-2005, thanks to the Culture 2000 program, the built heritage restoration training center was opened in the Miklós building, where conference rooms and offices were set up. Under the Phare 2002 program, furniture and smaller spaces were also restored.
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2003: With the support of the World Monuments Fund, the structure of the Miklós building was reinforced, and the roof was completed. In 2004-2005, thanks to the Culture 2000 program, the built heritage restoration training center was opened in the Miklós building, where conference rooms and offices were set up. Under the Phare 2002 program, furniture and smaller spaces were also restored.
2006–2007: As part of a project supported by the Culture 2000 program, the partial restoration of the stable building was carried out, and the chapel in the main building was restored. Since then, the building has served as a cultural and community center. During the same period, two exhibition rooms were created in the gatehouse.
2008: The restoration of the interiors of the Miklós building continued, during which accommodation spaces were set up in the tower, and heating systems were installed. In 2008, the Built Heritage Restoration Training Center won the European Union’s Europa Nostra Award for Cultural Heritage, in the category of education and awareness.
2009: Partial restoration of the main building’s roof structure took place, as well as the completion of work on the façade of the Miklós building.
2010: The partial restoration of the mill building began, thanks to support from the Norwegian Fund.
2011: The walls of the gatehouse were reinforced, and work was carried out on the roof structure of the romantic (neo-gothic) wing of the main building.
2012–2013: The neo-gothic roof structure of the façade was completed, and restoration work began on the spaces in the inner courtyard, which included the strengthening of walls and the restoration of doors and windows.
2014: The courtyard and the main building were once again the focus of restoration. The roof structure for part of the stable was completed, and the restoration of the decorative elements on the romantic façade of the main building took place.
2015: Maintenance work was carried out on the western façade of the kitchen building.
2016: Aesthetic restoration of the inner and outer façades of the courtyard, modernization of electrical wiring, restoration of the living spaces in the Miklós building, and partial restoration of the interiors of the main building were completed.
2017: Work continued in the main building, and after cleaning the cellar, vault restoration and wall reinforcement began, with some walls being rebuilt in places.
2018: Work continued on the main building’s cellar, and an important area, the castle’s lapidarium, was also renovated. The restoration was carried out with minimal budget and intervention.
- 2019: The restoration and reuse of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida began, with a 3-year project aiming to consolidate the structure of the main building and restore the neo-gothic wing, as well as repurpose the former riding hall as an educational workshop. These large-scale restoration works were supported by the Hungarian Government through the Bethlen Gábor Foundation. In 2019, the initial activities focused on planning and obtaining necessary permits. The archaeological study was completed, and the Transylvanian History Museum conducted 3D measurements of the neo-gothic wing to clearly indicate the extent of necessary interventions. Two gothic vaults were restored in the stable.
2019: The restoration and reuse of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida began, with a 3-year project aiming to consolidate the structure of the main building and restore the neo-gothic wing, as well as repurpose the former riding hall as an educational workshop. These large-scale restoration works were supported by the Hungarian Government through the Bethlen Gábor Foundation. In 2019, the initial activities focused on planning and obtaining necessary permits. The archaeological study was completed, and the Transylvanian History Museum conducted 3D measurements of the neo-gothic wing to clearly indicate the extent of necessary interventions. Two gothic vaults were restored in the stable.
2020: Restoration of the decorative elements of the neo-gothic façade of the main building continued, alongside internal and external structural work from the basement to the upper floors.
2021: In the eastern tower of the main building, a complex of vaults was restored, while in the spring, repairs to the windows and other openings began. For the first time in 70 years, wooden windows with frosted glass were installed, reminiscent of the castle’s appearance 100 years ago. Structural reinforcement of the former riding hall also began.
2022: We managed to cover the main building, and about 75% of its structure was restored. Structural reinforcement posed a significant challenge, as the main building had suffered considerable damage over the past 65 years, 40 of which were spent abandoned. The walls were damaged, and the vaults had collapsed. In addition to reinforcement, windows and doors were restored, and stained glass windows were installed on the upper floors. New water, gas, and electricity systems were installed, and the heating system was repaired. These works saved the main building from collapse and provided the opportunity to restore the entire castle. We successfully restored the western wing, where an interactive permanent exhibition dedicated to Miklós Bánffy and his works was opened. In the spring of 2023, the exhibition will be expanded with information on Transylvanism, the work of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the challenges of the Hungarian cultural community in Transylvania, and institutional changes. The exhibition will also include more details about the Bánffy family and the political shifts during their time.
2023: Thanks to new funding provided by the Hungarian Government through the Bethlen Gábor Foundation, we began restoring the last remaining uncovered building, which was in an advanced state of decay. The first step was securing the building structurally, followed by its transformation into an educational workshop for training future generations.
