2015-03-01

The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta, Romania

The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta in the province of Maramure is one of the most picturesque places in Romania. It is notable for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings that describe, in an original and poetic manner, the persons who are buried there, as well as portrait scenes from their lives or drawings depicting scenes from the lives of the deceased.

Thus, we observe farmers, carpenters, shepherds, and artisans, among many scenes depicting the symbolic or beautiful life of the deceased. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction. The vivid colours of the headstones, naively painted with scenes narrating the biography of the deceased, give the Merry Cemetery its name. The sentences are sometimes lyrical, sometimes ironic, but always sincere. The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta, called the "Popular Art Museum", is a source of pride and a unique community in the world.

This curious initiative started in 1935 and has continued until today. The cemetery's origins connect to Stan Ioan Patras, a local artist who sculpted the first tombstone crosses. In 1960, they counted 800 sculpted crosses and headstones, and after Stan Patras Ionas died in 1977, other local artists continued their work. Patras himself is buried in the Merry Cemetery gravestone that reflects you as it was, with the following epitaph —

Since I was a little boy

I was known as Stan Ion Patras.

Listen to me, fellows.

There are no lies in what I am going to say.

All along my life

I meant no harm to anyone.

But I did as well as I could.

To anyone who asked

Oh, my poor world.

Because it was hard living in it

First Image credit: Vivek Pundir