Săpânţa
Săpânța
Commune in Maramureș County, Romania
Săpânța (Romanian pronunciation: [səˈpɨnt͡sa]; Hungarian: Szaplonca or Szaploncza; Slovak: Sapunka; Yiddish: ספינקא, romanized: Shpinka or Spinka) is a commune in Maramureș County, Maramureș, Romania, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) northwest of Sighetu Marmației and just south of the river Tisza. It is composed of a single village, Săpânța.
Săpânța is located in the northwestern part of Maramureș County, 53 km (33 mi) due north of the county seat, Baia Mare. To the west it borders Țara Oașului, in Satu Mare County, and to the north, across the river Tisza, is Ukraine. The river Săpânța flows into the Tisza here. The locality is crossed by national road DN19 , which starts in Oradea, goes through Satu Mare, and ends in Sighetu Marmației.
The commune is known for its "Merry Cemetery",[2][3] one of the Seven Wonders of Romania. The Săpânța-Peri Monastery church is the world's tallest wooden church building, at 78 metres (256 feet).[4][5][6]
In 1920 there were 1,023 Jews in Săpânța, which was the original home of the Spinka dynasty of Hasidic Rebbes.[7]