Former Seat of the Székely Seat of Csík
History
Next to the monastery stands the former seat of Csík, Gyergyó and Kászon seats, built between 1828 and 1841. Seats (szék) were the traditional administrative units of the Székely people until county system was extended over Székelyland as well. The building now houses a pulmonary sanatorium and hospital.
It was built on the model of the monastery, with a corridor on the facade facing the inner courtyard similar to the cloisters of monasteries. The multifunctional building has been modified several times.
Until the end of the 18th century, Csíkszék had no permanent administrative centre, so the assemblies of the Székelys were held at the residence of the royal judges (főkirálybíró). In accordance with the laws demanding the establishment of a permanent seat, the site of the new seat was designated on 21 May 1810 in Csíksomlyó, on the land opposite the Franciscan monastery. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1828. The administrative, military and judicial centre of Csíkszék was completed in 1841 under royal judge Balázsi József.
Between 1841 and 1878, the building was used as the headquarters of Csík, Gyergyó and Kászon seats, as it was originally intended.
After the abolition of the Székely seats and the establishment of the county system, the seat was moved to Csíkszereda. Initially, only the judiciary, separated from the administration, then in 1878 the seat of the administration was moved to Csíkszereda.
In 1888, the vacant building was purchased for the Roman Catholic Grammar School of Csíksomlyó, where the dormitory of the school and the Roman Catholic Teacher Training Institute of Csíksomlyó were located. In 1911, after the relocation of the grammar school to Csíkszereda, the public building was taken over by the Teacher Training Institute.
After the nationalization in 1920, the teacher training institute moved to Csíkszereda, and in 1922 the diocese moved the school and its dormitory to the northern wing of the grammar school. From 1922 onwards, a weaving mill operated in the building, and later private apartments were built in it. In 1930, the building of the former headquarters of Csíkszék became the seat of the Székely Museum of Csík.
In 1937, the Baron Jósika Fund became the owner, and the "Salvator" Medical Centre of the Transylvanian Catholic Women's Association, the maternity ward was established in the multifunctional building. The collection of the Székely Museum of Csík was still kept there.
After the Teacher Training Institute was moved out of the grammar school building, the "Salvator" Medical Centre moved to the old court building, and the Teacher Training Institute returned to the former seat of Csíkszék.
In 1940 the Hungarian state took over the school, and the building was subsequently renovated and extended. Between 1942 and 1949, the Roman Catholic Teacher Training Institute of Csíksomlyó was located in this building. In 1949, the building was nationalized and the Infectious Diseases Hospital was housed in the building. The building, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gyulafehérvár, is now the infectious diseases ward of the County Hospital.