"FORGOTTEN WARRIORS AND ETERNAL ORNAMENTS: MIGRATING BARBARIANS DURING THE CRISIS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (V-VI CENTURY B. CHR.)"
The most valuable exhibition in the history of the National History Museum of Transylvania (MNIT), organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, and with the support of the City Hall of Simleu Silvaniei, presents unique worldwide treasures that include jewelry, medallions, gold and silver vessels, on loan from the collections of more than ten museums at home and abroad.
The most important artefacts of the exhibition are part of the Simleu Silvaniei hoard, discovered in two stages (1797, 1889) and located in the collections of the Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches Museum) in Vienna and the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) in Budapest . The second hoard from Simleul Silvaniei will remain for a shorter period, until early March 2025. This hoard is considered one of the most important discoveries from the period of migrations, both regionally and Europeanly, and artifacts from the two hoards are exhibited for the first time in Transylvania


















Among the exhibits is a spectacular fibula in solid gold, decorated with one of the largest faceted onyx stones, which impresses with its size and exceptional execution. The object is unique in the world and illustrates the remarkable wealth of the elites of the 5th century BC. These large gold fibulae formed part of the imperial insignia and were important accessories of the Roman emperor's parade dress. The fibula with onyx from the Simleu Silvaniei hoard is the most imposing piece in the category of imperial fibulae that has survived to this day.
The exhibition also houses pieces from the Pietroasele hoard, known to the general public as "Cloșca cu puii de aur", gold pieces from the princely tombs at Apahida and from the tomb at Florești-Polus Center (today Vivo). We aimed to present the world of these elites through the most significant archaeological discoveries, which highlight major historical and archaeological phenomena that influenced the evolution of Europe and constitute a common cultural heritage for the European community. The exhibition shows that the era of migrations should not be seen as a dark period, but rather a transition era from late antiquity to a new era, it being the catalyst on which the history of medieval European states was built. The event highlights the richness and cultural diversity of the Middle Danube region, an area of strategic importance from antiquity to today
Partner Institutions / Partner Institutions / Partner institutions: Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum / Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien/ Museum of Art History, Vienna, National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest, National Museum of the Alba Iulia Union, Buzău County Museum, Institute of Archeology and Art History of the Academy Române, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea Crișurilor Country Museum, Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology, Ploiesti, Satu Mare County Museum, Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu, "Curtea Domnească" National Museum Complex, Târgoviște, Mureș County Museum, Târgu Mureș, Museum National of Banat, Timisoara, Turda History Museum
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 18:00 (last entry at 17:30), and tickets can be purchased online at: https://mnit.ro
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Important information for your visit to the "Forgotten Warriors and Eternal Ornaments" exhibition
To make your visit a complete experience, we encourage you to go through the exhibition with our guide, Rosamunda (who communicates in Romanian, English and Hungarian). To listen to it you can use headphones and your own phone, or you can request a device provided by the museum, which please leave at the exit.
Rosamund: https://bit.ly/3YWbYj4
Also, please see the visiting rules images:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOUR VISIT
To ensure a pleasant experience, please keep the following in mind:
- Photosensitivity warning: The exhibit contains bright lights, which may cause discomfort to people with photosensitive epilepsy or other medical conditions. Please be cautious.
- Immersive space warning: There is an immersive space that could trigger claustrophobic reactions. If you are sensitive to enclosed spaces, you can quickly skip this area.
- Audio guide: We have created a friendly audio guide to enhance your experience. Follow the map and listen to the story Rosamund! She communicates in three languages: Romanian, English and Hungarian.

- Accessibility options: If you are hearing impaired, you can access a written version of Rosamunda's story using the QR code.
- Use of devices: You can use your own phone for the audio guide or request a device provided by the museum, which please leave at the exit.
- Limitation of access: For an experience pleasant given the size of the exhibition space and the wealth of information, please understand that the number of visitors to the exhibition space may be limited. In case groups please keep this situation in mind.
- For the children: Within the exhibition we also have sections dedicated to children, but we ask the attendants to stay nearby, because there are also areas with content that could be considered sensitive for children under 10 years old. Please keep these in mind when planning your visit.
- Noise warning: In the exhibition there are some areas that include loud or sudden sounds. People who are sensitive to noise or have hearing problems, as well as small children should be cautious.
- Photography Policy: Photography is allowed in certain sections of the exhibition, but please do not use flash to protect the exhibits and not disturb other visitors.
- Visiting Time Warning: Due to the wealth of information, we recommend that you plan your visit so that you have enough time to explore the exhibition in detail. The average visit time is at least 60 minutes.


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- Published in EXHIBITIONS, EXHIBITIONS AT THE HEADQUARTERS, PRESENT EXHIBITIONS
GREEKS OVERSEAS. RED-FIGURED VESSELS FROM ETRURIA AND GREAT GREECE AT IAŞI
Between October 31, 2024 and May 18, 2025, the National History Museum of Transylvania exhibition "Overseas Greeks. Red-figure vases from Etruria and Magna Graecia" can be visited in a new adaptation, specific to the History Museum of Moldova, at the Palace of Culture in Iasi, in the Orest Tafrali hall.
More details: https://bit.ly/4emylm1




- Published in PRESENT EXHIBITIONS, NEWS, NEWS
ROMAN LAPIDARY
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.




- Published in EXHIBITIONS, EXHIBITIONS AT THE HEADQUARTERS, PRESENT EXHIBITIONS, Uncategorized
MEDIEVAL AND PREMODERN LAPIDARY
The medieval and pre-modern lapidary constitutes one of the largest collections of its kind in the country, composed of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architectural monuments, Baroque sculptural monuments, a vast collection of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical funerary monuments and the collection of children in plaster casts of various types of medieval funerary and sculptural monuments in Transylvania.
A few things that you may not know about this lapidary and that it would be useful to know before you visit us:
The medieval and pre-modern lapidary of the National History Museum of Transylvania contains one of the most valuable collections of this kind in the country, with a number of 603 pieces.
The Ardelean Museum Society, the forerunner of the current museum, starting from the second half of the 19th century, initiated the systematic collection of architectural elements from the demolition of some historical Transylvanian buildings, most of them from the city of Cluj. So today we have a wonderful collection of architectural elements of the houses of the Renaissance Cluj, the way in which these private spaces of Cluj, the first city of Transylvania, were decorated.
The lapidary today contains a significant collection of funerary, architectural and sculptural monuments from the 13th-19th centuries, entering the collection through acquisitions, donations and through archaeological excavations.
The lapidary collection was first exhibited to the public in 1903, at the initiative of the archaeologist Béla Pósta, director of the Numismatic and Antiquities Collection of the Ardelean Museum Society, in the headquarters of the central building of the University of Cluj.
The most spectacular funerary monuments are the sarcophagi dedicated to the memory of prominent personalities of the Transylvanian nobility.
Gothic architecture from Transylvania is represented by the Gothic archways of the parish church of St. Michael in Cluj and by various architectural elements of the Dominican Monastery in Cluj, donated to the museum following the restoration of the edifice.
In the lapidarium are exhibited the first Renaissance architectural monuments in Transylvania, intended to decorate the episcopal fortress in Gilău and the earliest tabernacle in Transylvania, from the reformed church in Coveș (Sibiu county).
In the lapidary, six baroque statues are exhibited that originally decorated the attic of the court of honor of the Bánffy family castle in Bonţida. The statues were made between 1751-1753 by one of the most famous Baroque sculptors from Transylvania, Johann Nachtigall, representing various characters from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Today's redevelopment aims to reorganize the lapidary according to thematic and chronological criteria, as well as to highlight this collection with the help of a modern, interactive design, dedicated to both specialists and the general public.
We are waiting for you to discover or rediscover this space, in a new form!
- Published in EXHIBITIONS AT THE HEADQUARTERS, PRESENT EXHIBITIONS
THE FORCE FIELDS OF MIKLÓS BÁNFFY
from May 28, 2023, Bánffy Castle, Bonțida – collaborative exhibition
On May 28, 2023, at Bánffy Castle in Bonțida, the second stage of the opening of the international temporary exhibition entitled The force fields of Miklós Bánffy / Bánffy Miklós erőterei. The exhibition was organized by the Transylvania Trust Foundation, in collaboration with several cultural institutions from Romania and Hungary, among the partner institutions being MNIT.
The exhibition was organized to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the writer and polymath Miklós Bánffy (1873-1950), the author of the novel Trilogy Transylvania, the last owner of the Bonțida castle.
"The exhibition offers a unique experience to visitors by combining traditional elements with digital contents and elements that they can try. The visitor explores the Count's personality through photographs, projections, art installations, panels and interactive elements." - we can read on the web page of the Department for Interethnic Relations within the General Secretariat of the Government, https://dri.gov.ro/w/campurile-de-forta-ale-lui-miklos-banffy/
- Published in COOPERATION, PRESENT EXHIBITIONS
GODS AND MORTAL IN ANCIENT EGYPT

English version of the exhibition's labels and posters.
from September 2, 2022, MNIT headquarters
The Egyptian collection, one of the collections in the preferences of the Cluj public, comes before visitors in a space innovatively arranged with multimedia applications, modern and interactive technology. The exhibition itself brings to the fore the pieces from the Egyptian collection of MNIT, donated to the Ardelean Museum in the second half of the 2.000th century and the first half of the XNUMXth century, the central piece representing a human mummy in a wooden sarcophagus painted, discovered at Gamhud, in Middle Egypt. The pieces illustrate a history of more than XNUMX years, during which the Egyptians embalmed and buried their dead so that they could continue their lives in the world "beyond". In addition to funerary objects, the exhibition also highlights votive objects, as well as everyday objects.
To prepare for the exhibition, the 49 artefacts underwent conservation and restoration procedures, and the human mummy, along with mummified human organs and mummified animals, were also subjected to medical imaging investigations, procedures which resulted in extremely interesting, which will be revealed for the first time, during the exhibition. Interesting details about mummification techniques and the role of this ritual in Egyptian beliefs will also be presented. All this exhibition approach will be illustrated by means of a documentary film, which presents step by step the development of the project and the observations of the specialists involved in the project.
I didn't forget the little ones either. As the stories related to Egypt are a true magnet for them, we have created a special space for them dedicated to museum pedagogy activities, where we will hold thematic workshops designed specifically for this theme.
The exhibition will be visited during the working hours of MNIT and will be open to the public for the next 5 years.
GODS AND MORTAL OF ANCIENT EGYPT
The "Gods and Dead from Ancient Egypt" exhibition, the main objective of an extensive research and restoration project of the pieces from the Egyptian Collection of MNIT, a project financed by the SEE Grants 2014 - 2021, within the RO-CULTURE Program, (project code CALL01-4 ), the call on "Supporting innovative exhibitions with restored movable cultural goods".
Project financed by the SEE Grants 2014 – 2021 within the RO-CULTURE Program
Contract no. RO-CULTURE-A1-2/2020/31.01.2020
Project duration: February 2020 – September 2022
Contract value: 615.547,61 LEI (128.719,10 EURO)
The general objective: the promotion of the Egyptian collection, by creating an innovative exhibition, with preserved and restored objects.
The EEA grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to the strengthening of bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary states in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic states. In total, the three states contributed €3,3 billion between 1994 and 2014 and €1,55 billion for the 2014-2021 funding period. More details are available at: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.
The RO-CULTURE program is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit and its general objective is to strengthen economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. More details are available at: www.ro-cultura.ro
- Published in EXHIBITIONS, EXHIBITIONS AT THE HEADQUARTERS, PRESENT EXHIBITIONS