merry cemetery leaflet

7/31/2019 Merry Cemetery Leaflet

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The Merry Cemetery- a foray to the world beyond

The early beginnings of the creation

The cemetery dates back to the mid-1930s and is the creation of the local artistStan Ioan Ptra, sculptor, painter and poet rolled in one. Ptra used all his skills to create

this masterpiece, so famous today. For half a century the master created 800woodencrosses, carved in a special style. After his death in 1977, his work has been carried out byhis apprentice, Dumitru Pop Tincu

A link to our ancestors

It is said that the vision that the people from Spna have towards death is a legacy ofthe Dacians. They believed in the immortality of the soul and that death was only a passageto a better life. They did not see death as a tragic end, but as a chance to meet with thesupreme god, Zalmoxis. The crosses were for the Dacians the entrance to an endless lifewithout any wary.

A window to the past

The Merry Cemetery is famous for its colorful crosses- from there the name of MerryCemetery- with paintings that describe in a poetic and original manner the lives of thepersons that are buried there as well as some poems, called epitaphs. Each epitaph containsthe name of the deceased and presents briefly an essential aspect of his/her life, personality


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or habits; they can even talk about things that happened after the death of the person, at theburial for example, or describe how death occurred. Bad habits are humorously presented,but with a deeply moralizing intent.

The grave marker of Stan Ioan Ptra, the creator of the Merry Cemetery:

Ever since a little boyI was called Stan Ion PtraPlease listen to me good folksWhat I say are not liesAll the days that I livedI never wished ill for anyoneBut all the good that I couldTo whoever asked for it

Oh this poor world of mineSo hard was my life in it.

One famous epitaph:

Here I restAnd Gheorghe Pop is my nameLike a handsome mountain firI was in my parents yardYoung and kind-hearted

There were not many like me in the villageWhen I finished the armyI bought myself a carAnd the whole country I touredMany friends I foundMany friends that were kindThe way I likedWhen I was to live my youthIn the earth I rot.

With these images and the short poems, Stan Ioan Ptra and Dumitru Pop Tincu havemanaged to recreate the entire village at the cemetery and give the people a second lifebeyond the grave. The more than 800 painted crosses constitute a vast archive thatpreserves, carved in wood, the stories of the people of Spna.


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Contact informations:www.sapanta.ro

email: [email protected]

RatesChildren under 7 years free entranceStudents: 6 ronAdults: 10 leiNO EXTRA TAXES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING !!!
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merry cemetery leaflet

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