Săpânța

Săpânţa old spelling Sapinta [ səpɨntsa ] ( Hungarian Szaplonca, Slovak Sapunka, Yiddish Spinka or Shpinka ) is a town in Maramureş County in Romania.

Geographical location

Săpânţa is located in the north of Romania about one kilometer south of the upper reaches of the Tisza river, in the historical region of Maramures (county Máramaros ). The place is located about 20 kilometers northwest of Sighetu Marmaţiei on the National Road (drum National) DN 19; the county seat, Baia Mare ( Frauenbach ) located about 80 km (35 km as the crow flies) south of Săpânţa away.

Attractions

• The place is known for the " Merry Cemetery " ( Cimitirul Vesel ) on which the local artist Stan Ioan Pătraş has designed over decades, the traditional wooden grave steles with hand-painted images of the deceased and verses to their lives.

• On the outskirts of Săpânţa the Peri Monastery Sfântul Arhanghel Mihail has been constructed since the beginning of the third millennium. His church, built from 1997-2003, is to be the highest stave church in Europe, with 75 m.

Pictures

Grave stelae on the " Merry Cemetery "

Input of the " Merry Cemetery "

Church in the " Merry Cemetery "