The story of the man who built an entire villa as a crypt for his beloved deceased fiancé
Strange things people do for love.
I’ve come across some weird things during my life so far, but when I first read about this place I said to myself ‘It can’t be true!’. I had to see it with my own eyes, so I traveled up there. The little town of Fonyod was on our Eastern Chronicles trip around Lake Balaton, Hungary anyway.
We arrived in the evening, just in time, as the owner was ready to shut the door and leave for home. He was with other guys, some workers. Some of them were not even wearing a shirt. I remember that summer day; it was a torrid one.
At the beginning I didn’t notice, but the crypt villa was under renovation. The owner was kind enough to send one of the workers to take us a tour of the building. The guy took us straight in the basement and there they were: Odon and Magdus.
Their story begins in the middle of the 1910s. Odon Abrudbányay, a young chemist in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, fell in love with a gorgeous, educated girl named Magdus. They got engaged, but three weeks before the wedding Magdus suddenly passed away. I can’t really imagine the pain Odon must have felt, but her memory followed him for the rest of his life.
At the end of WWI, Transylvania was annexed by Romania. This historical event forced Odon to leave his homeland and settle in the heart of Pecs, Hungary. For a long time he lived alone, traveling. Eventually he started a family, but still couldn’t forget his first love.
During WWII, Cluj-Napoca once again became part of Hungary. That change in his hometown must have played a part. He saw the opportunity coming. In 1941, since there was no border anymore, Odon, a wealthy man now, decided to realize his old dream: to bring the remains of Magdus from Transylvania and to build a memorial house for her.
Searching for the most magical place for the future building, he found the Sipos Hill in Fonyod, on the shore of Lake Balaton. The worker led us onto the roof. That was the moment I understood why Odon chose that hill to build the crypt for his loved one.
The villa was designed in Mediterranean style, with columns, balconies, and a flat roof. Actually, this is the moment when the less romantic details of the story come to light. Ready?
First, a wedding bed carved in marble was built in the basement, with Odon and Magdus’s statues lying on it (see the photo above). Her ashes, at the time on their way to Fonyod, were supposed to be placed on her side of the bed. Second, the basement was designed as the burial place, the crypt for the entire Abrudbányay family. And, finally, the ground floor served as an apartment for Odon and his family.
After WWII, Romania regained Northern Transylvania from Hungary. Sadly, the ashes of Magdus were never received. The family enjoyed the panoramic view of the spectacular Lake Balaton until 1949, when all their properties were nationalized.
Soon after, the building was a doctor’s office for a while and then became trash. The community, considering the crypt villa a place preserving the memory of true love, saved it, renovated and turned it into a kind of museum.
As I write this down I wonder how it would have been if Odon had managed to bring the ashes of Magdus from Transylvania to Fonyod. His actual wife, what did she think about everything was happening? I wonder what happened to Odon after nationalization. All the stories I’ve found online don’t mention anything about him after that event. I would be curious to know if he ever returned to see the crypt villa.
“Kripta Villa will be a café place.”
Today, more and more tourists find out about this unique hidden place in Fonyod and come to visit. This is the only place of its kind that I’m aware of. At the end of the tour, the worker told us why was the crypt villa under renovation works.
‘Starting on Monday, Kripta Villa will be a café place’, the worker said. It seems that the owner noticed the increasing popularity of the place so he decided to start a business of it. The café was opened on July 20, so if you get around Lake Balaton, don’t miss out.
Photo credit: Cristian Sitov/ Doiniţa Spuză
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