Cimitirul Vesel Săpânța

The Merry Cemetery of Săpânța, in northern Maramureș, is one of the most unusual places of its kind in the world and a symbol of the distinctive way the local community views death. Here the wooden crosses are not sombre but painted in a vivid blue, known as Săpânța blue, and adorned with naive scenes depicting the trade or an event from the life of the deceased. Each cross also carries a rhymed epitaph, often humorous and self-mocking, that sums up the life of the person buried there. The tradition was begun in the mid-twentieth century by the craftsman Stan Ioan Pătraș and continued by his successors, becoming a true collective work of folk art.

The place conveys a serene philosophy of passing, in which death is seen without dread. Visitors can read the witty epitaphs and admire the skill of the carvers. It is best to respect the fact that this remains a working cemetery.