
A new permanent exhibition at MNIT: ROMAN LAPIDARY
Cluj-Napoca, June 7, 2024: The National History Museum of Transylvania (MNIT) is pleased to announce that, starting from Sunday, June 9 (ac), the permanent exhibition "Roman Lapidary" is open for visits. This remarkable collection, comprising artifacts of value to the history of ancient Transylvania, offers a fascinating foray into the life and culture of Roman Dacia. Visitors will be able to explore epigraphic and sculptural monuments, illustrating various aspects of daily, social and religious life from this historical period.
The Roman lapidary contains pieces representative of the history of ancient Transylvania, the vast majority of them coming from the intra-Carpathian territory of the province of Dacia. This heritage was established based on pieces from the old collections of the Ardelean Museum, of the Museum of Antiquities, to which were added over time many others discovered during archaeological excavations, donated or purchased from various Transylvanian localities.
"The exhibited monuments illustrate, through text or image, all aspects of the life of the inhabitants of Roman Dacia. Thus, epigraphic and sculptural monuments are important sources for the study of ethnic, social, economic, administrative, military structures, but also for the study of religious life, the funerary field, artistic manifestations, even everyday life in the former province of the Roman Empire. Numerous pieces come from the area of the current city of Cluj-Napoca, providing important information for the reconstruction of local history. Among them are two votive altars that attest to the rank of "municipium" of the city of Napoca received during the time of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD), respectively the rank of "colony" received under Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD .) or Commodus (180-192 BC)." says Irina Nemeti, curator of the "Roman Lapidary" exhibition.
In this context, the results of the most recent archaeological research in Cluj-Napoca, carried out by MNIT specialists in the Caragiale Park, should be mentioned. Here, in the best state of preservation, the northern wall of the Roman city of Napoca was captured, later superimposed by the other two walls of Cluj. It should be emphasized that this discovery contributes substantially to the knowledge of the extent of the Roman city, which now has three of its four boundaries known (the V - the yard of the Technical University, str. V. Fulicea, no. 23; the S - str. Napoca, no 11-15, the Puck Theater and the N, in the position mentioned above). The discoveries in the Caragiale Park are being researched, and the local authorities plan to put them into use for the general public.
Regarding the Roman Lapidary, we specify that the pieces that make up the collection are inscriptions, reliefs or statues made of marble, limestone or various types of stone. From the point of view of their functionality, they are classified into several categories: funerary monuments, votive monuments, public monuments, architectural fragments.
The plaster copies of Hellenistic and Roman monuments, which decorate part of the exhibition space, were never integrated into the collection of the Roman lapidary, being treated as a graphic support of the exhibition. These represent cultural assets, being modern objects that reproduce famous ancient monuments for didactic purposes. They are part of a larger collection that also contains replicas of Egyptian and medieval monuments.
The reorganization of the spaces and the arrangement of the exhibition began in April (ac), and the funds were secured from the Ministry of Culture, in the amount of 600.000 lei, and from the MNIT's own revenues, 150.000 lei. The MNIT team that coordinated the "Roman Lapidary" exhibition consists of: Irina Nemeti (curator), Eugenia Beu-Dachin (museographer), Sabin Grapini (restorer), Diana Bindea and Luminița Săsăran (conservators), Dana Gheorghe Șerban (graphic artist) , Török Károly (designer), Dávid Petruț (translations), Cristina Țopan, Florin Runcan, Daniela Popa and Alexandru Runcan (technical-administrative team).
The collection can be visited at the MNIT headquarters, Constantin Daicoviciu, no. 2, Cluj-Napoca. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 18:00 (last entry at 17.30:20). The cost of a full ticket is 5 lei, and for pupils and students XNUMX lei. "We are waiting for you to discover the historical and cultural wealth of Cluj through our unique exhibitions. In addition to the "Roman Lapidary", we invite you to explore "The Histories of Cluj", "Gods and Mortals in Ancient Egypt", "The Greeks Overseas". Red-figure vases produced in Etruria and Magna Graecia", "Medieval and pre-modern lapidary", "Pitesti phenomenon. The true face of communism in Romania" and the "Museum of Pharmacy". Each collection will give you a unique perspective on various historical and cultural periods, contributing to a better understanding of our shared past." concludes Dr. Felix Marcu, MNIT Manager.



