Salbek castle

In documents dated 1778, it is mentioned that the town of Petriş, together with the Corbești, Obârșia and Roșia villages were the property of the Salbek Family, and that Seliște village belonged to nobleman Sigismund Iosika. Count Salbek, heir of Salbek Matei, came from a very strict and religious German family. Count Salbek’s first position was that of scribe of Moldavia’s Price, after which, in 1733, he became commissioner of the saline mines in Hunedoara county. Several members of this family became hierarchs of the Roman-Catholic Church, one of which was Jakab, fanatic apparitor of Arad County, who was a catholic persecutor of the ortodox serfhood. After the Rebellion in 1784, Count Salbek ordered that Periș village be moved to a new location, around the castle, where it remained to this day. The transfer coincided with the reconstruction of Salbek Castle, as the workforce was ensured by the village’s serf population. The construction works were finished in 1811, when Von Matei Salbek added a new level. At this point, the castle’s new appearance was quite different from its initial fortress-like look. The castle is built in Neoclassic style, and its most important elements are the facade and back porch, both featuring Doric hone columns. On the north facade columns, the bas-relief cherubims are still noticeable. The castle is rectangular-shaped, and features one level and the ground floor. The castle has two entrances, on the north and south sides. The rooms are positioned one after another, and each one has its own access door. Access to the first floor is ensured by a semicircular staircase. Upon analysis of the position of the rooms on the first floor, historians presumed they were used by the Count and his family. The structure is made of burnt bricks, and features diamond-patterned hardwood, and cement floors. The 16,7 ha park surrounding the castle had many trees, some of which were secular oaks. Two of these can even be seen today. According to tradition, under these oaks, before 1848, all the local criminals were judged and sentenced to corporal punishment or detention in the castle’s prison. Sources: Învăţător Emil Murgu, Comuna Petriş, trecut şi prezent – contribuţie monografică, Editura Mirador, 2009.