The Transylvania Trust Foundation organised its built heritage conservation training camp at Bánffy Castle in Bonțida between 17 and 30 August 2025. Participants from two countries (Romania, France) were present, with a total of 25 campers collaborating in the masonry and joinery workshops, gaining hands-on experience in the castle’s restoration process. Our programme primarily targets university students (architects, structural engineers, landscape architects, archaeologists, art historians etc.) and professionals working in the construction industry, but we welcome participants from other fields as well.

The training commenced with a series of theoretical lectures. First, Edith Marczika-Gyöngyösi, Executive Director of the Transylvania Trust Foundation presented the Built Heritage Conservation Training Centre operating at Bánffy Castle in Bonțida. She was followed by architect Nicole Sutton, whose lecture focused on historical building materials, as well as the importance of minimal interventions, on-going maintenance and the compatibility of techniques and materials. Then, art historian Zsuzsanna Eke provided a brief history of Bánffy Castle, complete with a guided tour. Subsequently, architect Endre Ványolós, discussed contemporary urban interventions in the historical environment, and the series concluded with engineer Dorottya Makay’s presentation on structural interventions.

The practical training began after the work safety and health protection instructions, where site manager Márton Bikfalvi and his team of craftsmen guided the participants through the monument conservation processes. Within the masonry workshop, participants worked on the stables and in the northeast tower of the main building under the supervision of experienced trainers. Additionally, they could try their hand at preparing mural decorations, where they learned various techniques, such as fresco, secco, sgraffito and stucco marmorino. The joinery students learned to create various joints and gained proficiency in furniture restoration processes.

In the second week of the camp, geophysicist István Kudó together with geophysicist and geoinformatics engineer Márton Bujdosó presented the theory behind the georadar survey as a non-intrusive investigation method. Following this, the participants got to try the method in practice at the castle grounds.

A study field trip was also included in the programme. Its first stop was the village of Rimetea, where participants saw traditional houses, an 18^th-century mill, visited the Ethnographic Museum and the Unitarian Church. Next was the village of Sic, where the team visited the mediaeval Reformed Church and the 18^th-century Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel Orthodox wooden church. The field trip concluded with a walk through the reed beds near Sic.

On the last day of the training, the participants themselves presented to each other, to the craftsmen leading the activities and to the interested public the workshops and the work they had been involved in during the camp. This was followed by a written exam assessing the participants’ knowledge. The evaluations were complemented by feedback from the workshop leaders, and those who met the established criteria received a certificate of achievement.

This project was supported by the Romanian Order of Architects, from the architectural stamp duty, by The King’s Foundation, the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA) and the Communitas Foundation.

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The training hosted 25 participants from four countries (Romania, Hungary, France, Switzerland) who, alongside expanding their theoretical and practical knowledge, actively contributed to the restoration of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida through masonry, joinery and stone carving workshops. The participants also had the opportunity to learn wall decoration techniques, including fresco, secco, sgraffito and stucco marmorino. During the two-week training, camp members worked on restoring the walls of the stables and of the main building’s northeast tower within the masonry workshop, in the joinery workshop, students learned to create various joints and restored several pieces of furniture, while in the stone carving workshop, participants worked on one of the window frames of the main building, practising both stone carving and techniques for repairing damaged stone elements.

The camp was opened by a series of theoretical lectures that provided the foundation for the practical work. First, archaeologist Zsolt Csók, Technical Director of the Transylvania Trust Foundation, spoke about the role of archaeology in heritage management. Next, architect Nicole Sutton discussed historic building materials, focusing also on minimal intervention, on-going maintenance, and the compatibility of techniques and materials. After that, mining expert Kálmán Szőke presented the stones used in the construction industry and their properties. He was followed by geophysicist István Kudó and geophysicist and geoinformatics engineer Márton Bujdosó, who presented the theory of a non-intrusive research method. Students also attended a lecture by architect Endre Ványolós titled Contemporary Urban Interventions in the Historical Environment. The day concluded with engineer Dorottya Makay’s presentation on structural interventions.

Following the work safety and health protection instructions, the intensive practical training began with a programme led by István Kudó and Márton Bujdosó. Building on the previous day’s theory, participants gained practical familiarity with the work processes of georadar measurements and then, after data processing, interpreted the results under the guidance of the two experts.

The training continued with workshops led by experienced trainers. Márton Bikfalvi, site manager, and his team of craftsmen directed the monument conservation processes and the teaching of traditional building crafts, while István Márton Sipos, stonemason and sculptor, introduced the participants to the craft of stone carving.

During the camp, attendees learned about the history of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida at a lecture by art historian Zsuzsanna Eke, which was complemented by a guided tour around the castle.

As part of the programme, an intensive documentation process was also launched in the form of short video recordings, which continued even after the camp ended. The aim of this activity was to prepare materials for a digital course that will serve as supporting content for those interested or involved in traditional building crafts.

A study field trip was also scheduled into the two-week training. Its first stop was the village of Rimetea, where participants saw traditional houses, an 18^th-century mill, visited the Ethnographic Museum and the Unitarian Church. This was followed by the village of Sic, where they visited the mediaeval Reformed Church and the 18^th-century Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel Orthodox wooden Church. The field trip concluded with a walk through the reed beds near Sic, followed by some relaxation at the saltwater public baths in Cojocna.

On the last day of the training, the participants themselves presented the traditional building crafts workshops and the results of their work to each other, to the craftsmen leading the activities and to the interested public, during an open workshop demonstration. This was followed by a written exam assessing the participants’ knowledge. The evaluations were complemented by feedback from the workshop leaders, and those who met the established criteria received a certificate of achievement.

The cultural project is co-funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

The project does not necessarily represent the official position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN shall not be held liable for the project’s content or any use to which the project outcome might be put. These are the sole responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.

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We have been organising Built Heritage Conservation Training Programmes at Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, for 23 years now, with the aim of addressing the shortage of skilled and qualified workers in the field of historic building conservation. So far, the programme has welcomed more than 3000 participants from 32 countries.

The two-week interdisciplinary camps aim to preserve, utilise, and pass on traditional building craft skills. This year, we held a total of three Built Heritage Conservation Training Programmes at Bánffy Castle, Bonțida: the first one in April, while the second and third ones in August.

The first camp, held in the spring, was attended by skilled construction workers intending to work in the field of historic building conservation. Thus, emphasis was put mainly on practical training, including vault restoration. The activities were led by four experienced practical trainers.

The August camps catered mainly to university students (architects, civil engineers, landscape architects, archaeologists, art historians etc.) and professionals from the construction industry, but we welcomed people from other fields as well. These camps offered practical training in four workshops: masonry, stonemasonry, joinery and decorative rendering.

In the autumn, we have launched the training’s website, where future participants can read useful information about the programme and our workshops, follow our calls and pre-register for future camps, and former participants can travel back in time with the help of the photo archive and can access the training materials.

We have been running our Rimetea Heritage Conservation Project since 1996, thanks to which the little village of Rimetea has developed into one of the architectural jewels of Transylvania and a prime destination for cultural tourism.

This autumn, we launched a new promotion of our Training and Professional Development Programme in Built Heritage Conservation and Rehabilitation (formerly known as Postgraduate Studies on Historic Building Conservation), which we have been organising in cooperation with the Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, since 1998 and which currently has 35 students. The next enrolment period for the two-year postgraduate course will take place in 2026.

This year, Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, hosted an Open Day in the spring and the Bánffy Day in the autumn, providing guided tours in Hungarian and Romanian, along with children’s programmes and cultural activities.

For the third year in a row, we organised a summer camp for children between the ages of 7 and 12, aiming to raise their awareness about the importance of preserving our built heritage. The June camp titled Heritage under the Magnifying Glass revolved around skill-building activities such as horseback riding, playful mathematics, nature walks, workshops for exploring the natural world, stop-motion animation, Renaissance dance, archery and fencing. These activities allowed children to deepen their knowledge of the castle’s history while freely enjoying the historical environment.

In April and in October, we organised several Heritage Days for over 280 schoolchildren, employing non-formal educational methods to introduce them to cultural heritage. Through interactive guided tours, salon culture workshops, treasure hunts and Renaissance dance lessons, the children not only learned about life in the castle but also understood the significance of preserving and utilising historic buildings.

This year, we have implemented three new thematic training workshops:

1. in March, we invited university students and young professionals who wished to learn more about tour guiding and the presentation of built heritage to our workshop titled (Built) Heritage: How Can it Become a Unique Experience. Some of the topics discussed at the workshop were included in an online publication, which is available on our website in Romanian and Hungarian.
2. in May, we organised a training workshop for teachers and organisers of children’s activities on the topic of heritage in non-formal education, titled Built and Natural Heritage in Non-formal Education Using STEAM Methods. The workshop was completed with an online pedagogical toolkit on the same subject, available for download from our website in Romanian and Hungarian.
3. in November, we held a three-day local debate titled Workshop EcoArt – Interdisciplinary, Participatory, Innovative Dialogue, in the framework of our CO-Vision project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. The workshop results, i.e. artworks on the topic of the connection of art and natural heritage, can be viewed here.

In October, we published the bilingual (Romanian and Hungarian) “Bánffy Castle in Bonțida during the Communist Regime in Romania”, which follows the castle’s fate during the decades of communist repression based on the correspondence between the Cluj and Gherla People’s Councils and the Directorate of Historical Monuments. The publication was presented on 24 October at the House of Religious Freedom in Cluj-Napoca, accompanied by a round table discussion with the participation of the author, art historian Ioana Rus-Cacovean, architect Virgil Pop, secretary of the Western Transylvania Zonal Commission for Historical Monuments, and Zsolt Fazekas, pastor of the Reformed Church of Bonțida from 1991-1996. The discussion was moderated by Csilla Hegedüs, president of the Transylvania Trust Foundation, which is committed to saving and restoring the castle. In December we finalised the publication’s trilingual (Romanian, Hungarian, English) version as well, with the title “The Fate of the Bánffy Castle in Bonțida, during the Communist Regime in Romania”.

This year we successfully closed our SOS Heritage project, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and implemented by an international partnership (Austria, Italy, Romania and Serbia). As part of the project, we digitised the extant pieces of the Baroque sculpture gallery representing mythological figures that once adorned the central axis of the cour d’honneur and the main building of Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, and created the permanent digital exhibition titled The Lost Statues of Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, which was set up in the former chapel, reorganised this year to host the Lost&Found Lapidarium exhibition.

Running our Foundation this year was supported by the Bethlen Gábor Fund in Hungary.

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The training was intended for university students (in architecture, civil engineering, landscape architecture, archaeology, art history etc.) and professionals working in the construction industry, but we also welcomed interested participants from other fields as well. In the first module of the training programme, we hosted 26 participants from four different countries (Romania, Hungary, France, Finland).

During the training, participants took part in three workshops led by experienced practical instructors. The practical training was preceded by theoretical lectures delivered by teachers from both Romania and abroad. Additionally, during some evenings, participants had the opportunity to meet invited experts, view presentations and engage in discussions on various topics related to heritage conservation.

The first day of the training was dedicated entirely to theoretical lectures, during which participants learned about the training programmes that have been running at the castle for over two decades, the history and architectural development of the castle, as well as various topics regarding the protection and conservation of cultural heritage (principles of heritage protection and restoration, technical, archaeological, urban planning, engineering etc. aspects). To introduce the programme, archaeologist Zsolt Csók presented the Built Heritage Conservation Training Centre operating at Bánffy Castle for around two decades. He then discussed the role of archaeology in the management of built heritage, followed by mining expert Kálmán Szőke, who introduced and illustrated the different types of rocks used in construction industry, along with their properties. In the afternoon, art historian Zsuzsanna Eke presented the brief history of Bánffy Castle, complemented by a guided tour around the castle. Following this, architect Endre Ványolós gave a presentation on contemporary urban planning and public space interventions in heritage environments. The day concluded with a lecture by engineer Dorottya Makay on structural interventions, illustrated with case studies. In the second half of the training, participants attended theoretical lectures by architect Nicole Sutton on the use of lime and other historical building materials, as well as on the importance of minimal intervention and continuous maintenance, the compatibility of building techniques and materials, and the significance of traditional craftsmanship.

For the remaining days of the training, after a joint session on health and safety regulations at the start of the second day, the participants received practical training in various workshops, where they learned about masonry, vault restoration and decorative mural techniques (fresco, secco, sgraffito, stucco marmorino), traditional joinery, furniture restoration and stone carving. The practical workshops were introduced by site manager Márton Bikfalvi and his team, with the exception of the stone carving workshop, which was led by sculptor István Márton Sipos.

In the masonry workshop, participants first familiarised themselves with the tools and materials used during the two weeks, especially the characteristics of the lime-based mortar required for the castle’s restoration works. They then worked in groups at several locations, in rotation, to ensure that everyone had the chance to try out everything: some renewed the render at the base of the round tower connected to the kitchen block, thus practicing rendering; others reinforced the base of the stables, acquiring techniques for wall reinforcement; while a third group worked on the reconstruction of a sail vault in the stables, learning about the theoretical and practical aspects of vault reconstruction. In addition, each participant had two days to master decorative mural techniques (fresco, secco, sgraffito, stucco marmorino). In the traditional joinery and furniture restoration workshop, all participants worked together. They first got acquainted with the specific tools and instruments of the craft, learned about the wood and the traditional joints used in the craft, before restoring a piece of furniture manufactured with traditional techniques, going through each phase of the restoration process. Within the stone carving workshop, participants recreated the missing elements of the stone base of the brick masonry pillars in the stables, during which they learned about the different types of chisels and tools specific to the profession and were also introduced to methods of stone cleaning and repair.

To supplement the theoretical lectures of the first day, we organised a total of four evening discussions, where participants could explore the communist past of Bánffy Castle with art historian Ioana Rus-Cacovean, examine case studies with wood restorer Ferenc Mihály, discuss the significance of colour in restoration with architect Virgil Pop, and discover opportunities for valorising vernacular architecture and rural built heritage with architect Claudiu Salanță.

As part of the programme, the students also participated in a study field trip. Their first stop was in Rimetea, Alba County, a settlement famous for its beautiful vernacular architecture. Here, they admired traditional houses and visited an 18^th-century mill, as well as the local Ethnographic Museum and Unitarian Church. They then travelled to Sic, Cluj County, where they were able to admire the mediaeval Calvinist Church and learned about the village’s traditions, followed by a walk in the Sic reed bed, a local natural reserve.

At the end of the training programme, the participants were evaluated based on a written exam, and those who met the required criteria received a certificate of achievement. At the same time, the students visited all the workshops and presented to the other participants the work they had completed during the two weeks.

The training programme was co-funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN) and Communitas Foundation.

“The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.”

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The training camp was intended for university students (in architecture, civil engineering, landscape architecture, archaeology, art history etc.) and professionals working in the construction industry, but we also welcomed interested participants from other fields. In the second module of the training programme, we hosted 25 participants from five different countries (Romania, Hungary, France, Italy, United States of America).

During the camp, participants took part in two workshops led by experienced practical instructors. The practical training was preceded by theoretical lectures delivered by teachers from both Romania and abroad.

The first day of the camp was dedicated entirely to theoretical lectures, during which participants learned about the professional programmes that have been running at the castle for over two decades, the history and architectural development of the castle, as well as various presentations on the protection and conservation of cultural heritage (principles of heritage protection and restoration, technical, archaeological, urban planning, engineering etc. aspects). Introductory remarks were made by Edit Marczika-Gyöngyösi, executive director of the Transylvania Trust Foundation, who presented the Built Heritage Conservation Training Centre operating at Bánffy Castle for around two decades. Following this, archaeologist Zsolt Csók discussed the role of archaeology in the management of built heritage, and architect Nicole Sutton delivered a lecture on the use of lime and other historical building materials, as well as on the importance of minimal intervention and continuous maintenance, the compatibility of building techniques and materials, and the significance of traditional craftsmanship. In the afternoon, art historian Zsuzsanna Eke presented the brief history of Bánffy Castle, complemented by a guided tour around the castle. The day was concluded with a presentation by architect Endre Ványolós on contemporary urban planning and public space interventions in heritage environments, followed by a lecture on structural interventions by engineer Dorottya Makay, illustrated with case studies.

For the remaining days of the camp, after a joint session on health and safety regulations at the start of the second day, the participants received practical training in various workshops, where they learned about masonry, vault restoration and decorative mural techniques (fresco, secco, sgraffito, stucco marmorino), as well as traditional joinery and furniture restoration. The practical workshops were introduced by site manager Márton Bikfalvi and his team.

In the masonry workshop, participants first familiarised themselves with the tools and materials used during the two weeks, especially the characteristics of the lime-based mortar required for the castle’s restoration works. They then worked in groups at several locations, in rotation, to ensure that everyone had the chance to try out everything: some completed masonry window reveals at the gatehouse and connecting arched building block, thus learning masonry techniques; others reinforced the base of the stables, acquiring techniques for wall reinforcement; while others worked inside the stables: some rendered the inner wall surfaces, practicing this technique; and some worked on the reconstruction of a sail vault, learning about the theoretical and practical aspects of vault reconstruction. In addition, each participant had two days to master decorative mural techniques (fresco, secco, sgraffito, stucco marmorino). In the traditional joinery and furniture restoration workshop, all participants worked together. They first got acquainted with the specific tools and instruments of the craft, learned about the wood and the traditional joints used in the craft, before restoring a piece of furniture manufactured with traditional techniques, going through each phase of the restoration process.

As part of the camp, the students also participated in a study field trip. Their first stop was in Rimetea, Alba County, a settlement famous for its beautiful vernacular architecture. Here, they admired traditional houses and visited the local Ethnographic Museum and Unitarian Church. They then travelled to Sic, Cluj County, where they were able to admire the mediaeval Calvinist Church and learned about the village’s traditions, followed by a walk in the Sic reed bed, a local natural reserve.

At the end of the camp, the participants were evaluated based on a written exam, and those who met the required criteria received a certificate of achievement. At the same time, the students visited all the workshops and presented to the other participants the work they had completed during the two weeks.

The training camp was supported by the Romanian Order of Architects from the architectural stamp duty, and by The King’s Foundation, as well as by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.

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The restoration and revitalisation of Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, as one of our long-term projects, has been ongoing since 2000. Last year we have concluded a large-scale intervention that included the structural reinforcement of the main building and partial restoration of its western, Neo-Gothic wing. This spring, in the western wing we opened our permanent exhibition titled Miklós Bánffy’s Forces Fields, which presents the versatile personality and activity of the count through interactive tools.
In June, we began the renovation of the former carriage house, with the intention of converting it into an educational centre once architectural restoration is finished.

Last year, in October, we started a new academic year within our Professional Training and Development Programme in the Field of Built Heritage Protection and Conservation, organised in collaboration with Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, with 30 enrolled students. Enrolment for the two-year postgraduate programme will be open again next year.

We have been organising our built heritage conservation training at Bonțida for 22 years now, to address the shortage of professionals and skilled workers in the field of historic building conservation. Until now, over 3000 participants from 32 countries have joined our programme. The two-week interdisciplinary trainings aim to preserve, utilise and pass on traditional building craftsmanship. This year, we held a total of three trainings at Bánffy Castle: the first one in April and the other two in August.
The spring event focused mainly on practical training, specifically on vault restoration, and was led by four experienced trainers. The August camps catered especially to university students (studying architecture, civil engineering, landscape architecture, archaeology, art history etc.), as well as construction industry workers, offering workshops in masonry, carpentry, joinery, and decorative plasterwork.

This year, we hosted two open days at Bánffy Castle, providing guided tours in Hungarian and Romanian, along with children’s and cultural activities. Given the 150th anniversary of Bánffy Miklós’ birth, we put an emphasis on showcasing the most significant moments of the count’s life and work through the exhibitions housed in the recently renovated Neo-Gothic wing of the main building.

Following last year’s successful event, we organised a summer camp for primary school children yet again, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of preserving our built heritage. The June camp titled “Fairytale Path Camp” revolved around skill-building activities like horseback riding, visual storytelling with drawings and stop-motion animation, Renaissance dances, archery and fencing. These activities allowed children to deepen their knowledge of the castle’s past while freely enjoying the historical environment.

In October, we held a series of Heritage Days for Schoolchildren, employing non-formal educational methods to introduce the participants to cultural heritage. Through interactive guided tours, workshops on salon etiquette, treasure hunts and Renaissance dance lessons, the children not only learned about life in the castle but also understood the significance of preserving and utilising such buildings.

Additionally, in 2023, we expanded our project Manor Houses and Castles on the Someș Valley with three new heritage sites in Cluj-Napoca: the Citadel, the medieval fortifications of the town, and the early royal castle in Cluj-Mănăștur (Calvarly Hill). We began examining the most important monuments along the Someșul Mic River in 2021, completing art historical research and documentation on eleven castles, manor houses and fortresses, as well as presenting the results in a panel exhibition. In addition to studying these three new historic buildings, we organised an open lecture and published a book presenting all fourteen heritage buildings and sites in Cluj County.

This year, we published a handbook for the SOS Heritage cooperation project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. The publication showcases and evaluates examples of good practices for digital content creation and communication identified by our project partner organisations. The project’s overall aim is cultural heritage conservation and management in the context of climate change and its associated risk factors.

Our annual activities were supported by the Bethlen Gábor Fund.

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The first camp was primarily intended for those construction industry workers who wish to specialise in historic building conservation, with a strong practical focus on a single workshop: masonry, more specifically vault restoration. The instructors were four trainers with extensive experience in the field.

The second and third camps were intended especially for university students (architects, civil engineers, landscape architects, archaeologists, art historians etc.) and construction industry workers, but other interested individuals were also welcome. Four types of practical workshops were organised within the summer camps: masonry, carpentry, joinery and decorative plaster.

In the case of the summer camps, the first day was dedicated to theoretical training, during which the more than two-decade-long past of the built heritage conservation training programme was presented, along with the history and architectural evolution of the castle. The students also attended lectures on various topics related to the protection of built heritage (preservation and conservation principles, technical, archaeological, urban design, engineering etc. aspects). The lectures were held by specialists from Romania and abroad (USA) in English, considering the international nature of the camps.

The programme also included a study field trip, during which participants visited the Salt Mine of Turda, the village of Rimetea, the mediaeval fortress in Colțești, as well as the Reformed Church and the reeds in Sic.

At the end of the camps, the participants were evaluated, and the various worksites were visited by all, where the participants from the different workshops presented the interventions carried out over the course of the two weeks. Those who met the knowledge standards set by the programme received certificates.

In 2023, a total of 67 participants from 10 different countries took part in the camps.

Sponsor: The Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN)

“The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.”

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