Cheud (Kőd) – Sălaj County
Hidden deep within a forest at the border between Sălaj and Maramureș counties, lies one of the most mysterious medieval ruins in Transylvania. Once rising above the Someș River with its massive walls, the Benedictine monastery of Cheud ranks among the oldest Gothic constructions in the entire region.
The Benedictine monastery of Cheud, the gateway to the Țicău Gorge
Just a stone’s throw from the Țicău Gorge, about 2 km from Cheud, Năpradea commune, ancient stone walls rise among trees that seem to „strangle” them. There is no road leading to the site, yet this very isolation enhances its charm and almost mythical character. Built of dressed stone sometime in the 12th–13th centuries, the former Benedictine monastery played a crucial role in the Middle Ages. Even the name of the settlement on the opposite bank of the Someș — Benesat — derives from the Benedictine monks who once lived here. Since the riverbed of the Someș once ran much closer to the forested plateau, the monastery’s location was by no means accidental.
The Benedictine monastery of Cheud, more than just a church
It appears that until the 17th century, salt extracted from the Ocna Dejului mines was transported through this area. Thus, salt carried by rafts toward Satu Mare and then on to Tokaj was taxed at the Benedictine monastery of Cheud (known at the time as „Aranyos”). In a document dating from 1256, after the great Mongol invasion, the Monastery of Saint Benedict on the Hron River — today in Slovakia — complained that the right to collect customs duties at Aranyos had been seized by the nobility. According to archaeologist Dan Culic, the lay usurpers belonged to the Gutkeled clan. It was the last king from the Árpád dynasty, Andrew III, who confirmed their privileges in 1292.
Its rectangular ground plan, with a long chancel and, most likely, a massive bell tower, set this sanctuary apart from other churches of the period. In his 1887 work, Catholic priest and church historian Bunyitay Vince estimated the nave’s dimensions at 13×7 meters and the wall thickness at 1.10 meters. At the time, even the bases of the former tower were still visible. He also mentioned a capital decorated with oak leaves, confirming its Early Gothic construction. To this day, the mason’s marks — an „M” and an „N” — can still be seen, along with traces of buttresses and the stone window frames. Abandoned for centuries, the thick walls have become intertwined with the surrounding trees.
The Benedictine monastery of Cheud and the Aranyos Fortress, two distinct monuments
A few hundred meters above the Benedictine ruins lies the site of a medieval fortress often confused with the monastery — the Aranyos Fortress. Known as the „Golden Fortress” or Pintea’s Fortress, after the famous haiduc Pintea the Brave, it is mentioned unnamed as early as 1246, when it belonged to Pál of the Gutkeled clan. By 1383, the fortification already bore a name — Castrum Aranyos in districtu de Zilagy — and came into the possession of the former Moldavian voivode Balc and his brothers, Drag and Ioan. The privilege was granted by Queen Mary of Hungary at the Convent of Lelesz, as noted by writer Petri Mór. Of the fortress, likely named after the golden rays of sunlight bathing its walls, only faint traces remain today.
Although the Benedictine monastery of Cheud is listed as a historical monument of Sălaj County, there is not even a single signpost to guide visitors. Absurd, considering that the former monastic complex on the banks of the Someș may be even older than the Cistercian Abbey of Cârța!