BANCU Household, Harghita year 1862
Found in the south-east of Harghita County, the village of Bancu was part of the Csik Szekely Seat in the Kingdom of Hungary, and of the Szekely Infantry Regiment that guarded the military border of Transylvania. From here was transferred, in 1956, in the Village Museum, Máté Benedek's household that illustrates the folk architecture of the Szekels in the region.
The hill area in the Ciuc Depression, rich in forests and pastures, facilitated the development of occupations such as forestry and cattle breeding, whose usage is reflected in the structure and large proportions of the annex buildings destined to shelter animals, tools and conveyances. Beside the house, Bancu household is containing: a summer kitchen with a wood shop, a large barn with a stable and a wood shed, pens and a grain storehouse. The yard entry is made through a gate with dovecote, richly ornated.
The house, dated in 1862, is built on a stone base, with walls made of horizontal fir beams. The steep hipped roof has a shingle covering with interrupted slope, in order to slowly evacuate large quantities of snow. The partially opened veranda is placed only on the façade.
The house plan includes a foyer that allows the access in both the living room (“the small house”) and the guest room (“the parade room”). From the perimeter of the last, a space destined for storing food or clothes is delimited. In the living room one can note the hearth with a chimney covered with green glazes stove tiles. In the clean room, the beds, benches next to the walls, the high table and the wardrobe are part of the category of painted furniture with floral motifs, typical for the Szekely population in the area. The textiles have simple decorations and are dominated by the red, white and black colours. The glazed pottery made by masters from Corund gives brightness and comfort to the interior.
