Hida (Hidalmás, הידאלמאש) – Sălaj County
With a history dating back to the end of the 13th century, the village of Hida in Sălaj preserves the memory of a manor over 200 years old. The Hatfaludy Mansion is losing ground day by day in the fierce struggle against time that spares no one and nothing.
The Hatfaludy Mansion in Hida was the residence of a renowned Transylvanian noble family
Located on the left side of the main road coming from Huedin, the Hatfaludy Mansion in Hida was built at the beginning of the 19th century (1809). It appears to have been erected according to plans by architect-mason Antal Ferdider on the former site of an 18th-century building. Bearing elements of the eclectic style, the manor was a gift received by Baron István Hatfaludy from his parents.
The origin of the Hatfaludy de Hatmansdorff family is unclear, but it is certain that it was mentioned as early as the mid-15th century in a document issued by the Hungarian King Ladislaus V. the Posthumous (October 9, 1454). During the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI (King Charles III of Hungary), the family changed its name to Hatfaludy (1736).
From the dream of a grandiose complex in Hida to the ruins of the manor
Not many precise details about the manor’s history are known until the establishment of the communist regime, but after nationalization, it was recorded and used as the local agricultural headquarters. After the Romanian Revolution, the building was returned to the heirs, but the descendants of the Hatfaludy family soon sold it, and it eventually came into the possession of an Irish-American private association that had grand plans in Hida.
Over the years, dozens of articles have been written in the national press about the project of a huge luxury complex, which was to have as its main attraction Romania’s first international golf course, under the aegis of the King of Golf, the late Arnold Palmer. The villagers sold hundreds of hectares of land, but nothing has materialized so far from the grand plan, and the Hatfaludy Mansion has fallen into a state of advanced decay.
In 2015, the Hatfaludy Mansion was listed as a historic monument in Sălaj County, but the actual legal status blocks any rescue efforts. The roof is almost completely destroyed, and the rain seeping through the fallen wooden beams has further weakened the cracked walls that barely stand. Among the thorns and tall grass, it is hard to believe that anyone will ever be able to play golf in Hida. 🙂