Cisteiu de Mureș (Magyarcsesztve, Thalmühl) – Alba County
Once a grand ensemble consisting of a castle, manor house, chapel, and barn, all that remains of the Mikes Castle in Cisteiu de Mureș (village belonging to the town of Ocna Mureș) are a few fragile walls that will soon lose their ruthless battle with time and neglect.
Mikes Castle in Cisteiu de Mureș, an ensemble constructed in different periods
The foundations of the ensemble in Cisteiu de Mureș were laid towards the end of the 18th century by the Mikes family, a Szekler family with resonance in the history of Transylvanian nobility. The old castle was built in 1796 by Michael Mikes VI. The Baroque-style edifice, which no longer exists today, had a single level and a portico with a pediment. Later, the access gate, the impressively large barn, and the neoclassical palace were constructed. The latter was built in the 19th century at the request of Count John Mikes IV of Zabola (1804-1880). During the revolutionary movements of 1848, Simion Prodan Probu’s men devastated the entire domain.
The symmetrical structure of the single-level castle emphasizes the strong horizontal character of the entire estate. The elevated ground-floor building had a portico with a tympanum on the western façade, supported by columns. On the eastern side, 14 Doric columns were aligned. Both sides of the castle had five straight-closed windows and a twin window at the corners. Today, all that remains of the elegant palace are a few fragments of walls and the weakened columns of the eastern façade. The columns of the western portico collapsed, while the cellar suffered a similar fate.
The Mikes Castle in Cisteiu de Mureș, completely devastated after 1989
With the establishment of the communist regime, the castle became the headquarters of the agricultural cooperative (CAP). After the Romanian Revolution, the building briefly housed a kindergarten. Since 1994, it fell victim to the widespread practice of neglecting historical buildings disregarded by the communists and abandoned by post-revolutionary authorities. Everything was stolen, from bricks and carpentry to windows, doors, and the roof structure. In the warm season, the lush vegetation „suffocates” the remaining walls, and the generous land around the ruins is used by villagers to graze their animals.
Although it is listed as a historical monument in Alba County, the ownership of Mikes Castle in Cisteiu de Mureș is shrouded in mystery. The authorities in Ocna Mureș claim that the estate is not owned by the local administration. In 2006, the ensemble was reportedly returned to the descendants of the Mikes family, but there is no information to fully confirm this decision. What is certain is that no one claims ownership of the heritage building. According to official descriptions, it still appears to be in state possession. Under these conditions, the chances of preserving the castle are not just slim — they are nonexistent!
Given the current state of the ruins of Mikes Castle in Cisteiu de Mureș, the harsh reality is that we are looking at a lost historical monument. Only a few photographers can still enjoy the romanticism of the ruins that faintly recall the former beauty of the Mikes family’s complex…