Mikó Heritage in Olteni

A significant, well-preserved work of late classicist architecture from Szeklerland will soon enter the cultural circuit: the establishment of the Szekler Equestrian Centre is planned in the Mikó Castle in Olteni, 10 kilometres north of Sfântu Gheorghe. Built on a former count's estate, the castle was home to a school for children with intellectual disabilities from 1973 until recently.

On the outskirts of the village, which since the 13th century has been the property of the Mikó and Nemes families, fortresses from different historical periods have been excavated, a Roman castrum and a medieval fortress on its foundations, the latter of which may once have been located in the Mikó Castle Park. Built in the 1820s, the main hall of the empire-style castle is decorated with wall paintings depicting scenes of social life, the men's suite is decorated with images of the Napoleonic war, and the women's suite is decorated with souvenirs of a trip to Europe. The series, which is of unique value in Transylvania and dates from the 1840s, is traditionally the work of the handyman Péter Bodor from Târgu Mures. The historicised wooden panelling of the trophy room, the built-in cupboards and door frames, as well as the furniture made during the modernisation works are valuable elements of the interior decoration of the castle and are considered prestigious furniture monuments of the period. Part of the inlaid parquet flooring and two original coloured glazed tiled stoves have been preserved in their original state.

Samu Csinta