Cimitirul Vesel, Săpânța

History

The Merry Cemetery began in 1935, when local woodcarver Stan Ioan Pătraș carved the first of what would become hundreds of oak crosses for his village's graves — each one painted in the pale blue now known as "Săpânța blue" and decorated with a naive scene from the person's life or trade. What makes it unusual is the epitaphs: short, often funny verses written in the first person, poking gentle fun at the deceased rather than mourning them. Pătraș carved over 700 crosses before his death in 1977, and his workshop was carried on by an apprentice, keeping the tradition alive. Today the cemetery holds more than 800 crosses and is one of Maramureș's best-known sights.