MAKSA

ERESZTEVÉNY

The settlement lies south of Maksa, in the eastern part of Szépmező, which is considered to be the fertile land of Sepsiszék district. The two neighbouring settlements have not fused; however, one can see only the name of ‘Maksa’ on the chart indicating the name of the village.

Eresztevény is a Hungarian place of pilgrimage as Gábor Áron, the Sekler hero, whose name is cherished for having been the first to mould cannons for the revolutionists, was buried in the local cemetery. In 1892 a monument was erected above his tomb on the initiative of the people of Háromszék.

This small village gave several heroes to the cause of the Revolution:

Lieutenants  László János (1826--1893) and László Zsigmond; three members of the Eresztevényi family also took part in the battles: György died on the battlefield near Nagyszeben in 1849, Antal fought as Major for the freedom of Seklerland whereas Laszlo had the rank of lieutenant.

The Reformed church located in the cemetery was built in 1818; its bell was moulded in the 15^th century, which is currently not used.

As far as the architectural vestiges of the settlement are concerned, special attention should be paid to the Benke Mansion, built in Classical style in the 19^th century, which is located eastward from the crowded highway.

The ridge of the hill stretching above the settlement is named Óriáspince Peak. In this location archeologists have found two mass graves dating back to the Bronze Age, one of which have been opened up. In 2007 a monument was erected on the occasion of the World Meeting of the Hungarians from Háromszék to evoke the glorious past and to encourage people to join in a big community. Since then the Oriáspince Peak has been the venue of several cultural events and craftsmen’s meeting.

SEPSIBESENYŐ

The name of the settlement preserves the memory of a nation that used to live in this location during the establishment of the Hungarian state: the Petchenegs. According to a local legend, the king of the giants, Bábolna, used to live on the Csente Peak, whose fortress was built of gold. On the neighbouring Hegyes Peak there used to be the residence of the prince’s daughter, who actually was a wonderful fairy.

The Reformed church of the settlement, dating back to the early Gothic period, was rebuilt and lately some sequences of the wall-painting that represents Szent László`s legends have been opened up, what is true, in a damaged condition.

Local inhabitants erected a monument in 1998 in the foreground of the church to commemorate the heroes who had died during War World II. This is also a token of people’s admiration for Lieutenant-General Szotyori Nagy Gyula (1887—1944).

Blocking the flowing of the Besenyő Creek in the 1980s, local inhabitants made a storage lake in order to have their lands irrigated with its water. The artificial pond has become fishermen`s and holiday-makers` paradise in time. Especially the part opening to Maksa has been built in with weekend houses. The building that has to be mentioned is the Babos Forró Manison, which has lately become the property of a Dutch investor, and which will hopefully be redecorated shortly.