The village of Săpânța in northern Romania is known for its unique "Merry Cemetery". The cemetery has become a tourist attraction for its colorfully painted tombstones that depict scenes from the lives of those buried there, often with humor and poetry. The poems aim to present an essential aspect of the deceased's personality or habits, and sometimes describe their death or the aftermath. While presented humorously, the intent is deeply moralizing. Săpânța is also home to several tall wooden churches and gates that are characteristic of the region's architecture.

1. UNIVERSITATEA DE ȘTIINȚE AGRONOMICE ȘI MEDICINĂ VETERINA BUCUREȘTI
INGINERIE ECONOMICĂ ÎN AGRICULTURĂ ȘI DEZVOLTARE RURALĂ
NAN PETRUȚA-GABRIELA
GRUPA 8201
COORD. TEACHER: MIHAI DANIEL FRUMUȘELU
SĂPÂNȚA

2. Săpânța is a commune in Maramureș County in northern România, 15 kilometers northwest
of Sighet and just south of the Tisza River. It is composed of a single village, Săpânța.
It is known for its "Merry Cemetery" and was the original home of the Spinka dynasty of Hasidic
Rebbes.
VILLAGE SĂPÂNȚA

3. The Merry Cemetery
The Merry Cemetery became
an open-air museum and a
national tourist attraction.
This paradoxical name is
famous for its colourful
tombstones with naive
paintings describing, in an
original and poetic manner,
the people who are buried
there as well as scenes from
their lives.

4. Săpânța is also home to several wooden gates and one
of the region's tallest wooden churches

5. Each poem contains the name of the deceased and presents briefly an essential aspect of his/her
life, personality or habits; they can even talk about things that happened after the death of the
person, at the burial for example, or describe how death occurred.
Bad habits are humorously presented, but with a deeply moralizing intent.

6. •“Burn in hell, you bloody taxi
•That came from Sibiu.
•Of all the places in this country
•You had to stop right here.
•By my house you hit me so
•And sent me to the death below
•And left my parents full of woe.”
There is the rare flash of anger, as with the epitaph for a 3-year-old girl whose name is
no longer visible on the headstone but apparently perished in an auto accident.

7. Bibliography:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Cemetery
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sapanta-romania-peri-monastery-in-maramures-transylvania-
highest-wooden-109614709.html
https://www.travelguideromania.com/ro/cimitirul-vesel-din-satul-sapanta-maramures/
http://romaniatourism.com/press-sapanta-maramures-romania.html
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/05/the-dark-humor-of-sapantas-merry.html