Székelycsóka/Corbesti

Another post which is a little bit “outside the box”! Another improvement, another chance to do something different, and hopefully something meaningful. Because Székelycsóka is not a city, but merely a small village, some might say “somewhere in Transylvania”. But it is not just somewhere. It lies only at 13 kilometers distance from Marosvásárhely/Targu Mures, my sweet sweet hometown. It is also 25 kilometers away from Targu Mures International Airport.

It is special to me for a number of reasons. First off, it’s a pretty old village. Nobody knows the exact date of its foundation, but if first appears in an official registry back from the late 16th century, under the name “Chyokaffalvva”. The name is a derivation from the “Csókás” forest,  Csóka meaning “grackle” or “jackdaw” in the English language. Today it is officially called  Székelycsóka, székely meaning szekler and points out its’ szekler legacy.

Székelycsóka used to be a blooming, lively and prosperous one-horse town, filled with alluring homes and family mansions, which fully fits the description of the life of Hungarians who once lived there. Its reformed church still stands proudly and anxiously among the apple trees, although it is more than 200 years old as it waits for its’ believers. The village’s main natural resources consist in the fruit trees surrounding the area. Also, the forests and glades in the nearby can offer tourists a taste of an intact range, untouched and unaffected by human interference.

Unfortunately, the village’s decadence began not long after the 1990’s. Communism fell in Romania, hence giving way to a new era. New and different grand opportunities emerged in front of the people who have been forced to live in isolation, fear and limited life supplies. With freedom on the horizon, the chance of a fresh start and a never-before seen sea of possibilities in their hands, the youth that grew up in small villages started to move to the surrounding big cities, leaving behind the inestimable treasure that used to be the glory and the fascination of the simple life.

Sadly to say, that the village became deserted and neglected very quickly, thus the low population of only 100 inhabitants, which of most are elderly. Although through the years there were a few youth festivals trying to bring back life into Székelycsóka, the population still hasn’t grown.

But despite all these facts, one “patriotic” and brave man said “no” to the carelessness and bought back what used to be his grandfather’s and the sanctum, where his father was born and raised. Like everybody else, the family “migrated” to the city, but Szabó Péter returned to his roots and renovated the family home. In spite of that, not only did he do such a priceless thing to his ancestor’s habitat, he also built two other houses, matching the style of old times’ rustic mansions.

For all of you who like to escape sometimes from all the noise of your big city, or would only like to have a weekend house to be close to nature and maybe go on a search to find your inner self, I have wonderful news! The newly built houses are up for sale!!! Well, one of them for now, the other is still being worked on. The house is in a 58 square meter range. The rustic terrace consists of 23 square-meters,  and the living-room and kitchen make out the remaining 25. The living room has a unique hand-crafted fireplace, which assures heat through the radiators in the two bedrooms (11 square-meters each). There is also a bathroom of 3 square-meters, in which at wintertime hot water is assured by an electrical water heater when the heating is on and also by the hot water coming from the furnace. In the summertime, hot water is guaranteed through electricity. The base of the house is on reinforced concrete, the terrace stands on reinforced concrete pillars. The walls are built with ceramic brick and are isolated by the outside. The rooftop is composed by beaver-tail tiles.

So for everyone who would like to get close to nature and their own inner peace, Székelycsóka is the place for you!

For additional information on the house, please contact Szabó Péter !

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