Romania has preserved about one thousand of the local elites’ out-of-town residences built between the 17th
\nand 20th centuries. Some have been restored, some are degrading,
\nothers are being disputed by inheritors. There are also some mansions built in
\ntown, and some of them have been turned into museums or event centers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Irina Leca, an art historian, is a funding member and vice president
\nof the ARCHE association. It is part of a vast on-line platform called Forgotten
\nMonuments, a great tool for researching and popularizing out-of-town noble
\nresidences. While attempting to avoid talking about the best known castles and
\nmansions, such as Bran, Peles, Pelisor, or Hunyad Castle, we asked Irina Leca
\nto give us her top three such monuments: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
That is quite a challenge. I did try, however, to look at
\nthe historical regions and pick a representative monument, a witness to history
\nand major landmark. I would like to single out four or five of them. First of
\nall, closer to Bucharest we have the mansion in Floresti, near Ploiesti. It was
\nbuilt by the tycoon Cantacuzino, based on blueprints by Ion Berindei. It is a
\nbeautiful example of early 20th century architecture, and is a
\npicturesque and vibrant place, though it has been left in ruins. The present
\nowners are trying to revitalize it, holding there various cultural events, the
\nmost important being the Kapatia Horse Trials horse race, held in September.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Speaking of the province of Moldavia, Irina Leca singled out the
\nCuza mansion in Ruginoasa: <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
This is another example of beautiful Neogothic
\narchitecture, in a superb tree park, a recently restored mansion that houses
\nthe Cuza Museum. Here visitors can find out more about the history of the
\nRomanian ruler, and especially about Elena Cuza. Going to Transylvania now, we
\nstop 30 km away from Sighisoara, where we find the Cris mansion. Its history
\ngoes back to the 15th century, according to archeologists; it is a
\nsuperb example of Renaissance architecture. It is one of the most authentic and
\npicturesque places in Transylvania. Even though it is not known to the public
\nat large, it has been open to tourists for a very long time, and is now in full
\nprocess of restoration. It is managed by a foundation that offers guided tours
\nof the mansion, but also of the Saxon village around it. It is an original out
\nof town residence that belonged to a Hungarian noble family, but in an area
\nthat was mostly Saxon. Then, further northwest, we find the so-called Peles of
\nTransylvania, the Karoly mansion in Carei. It has been recently restored with
\nEuropean funds, and was opened to
\ntourists a few years ago, in 2013. It was turned into a very interesting
\nmuseum, presenting the history of the Karoly family, but also provides a perspective
\non these glamorous out of town noble residences of the grand elites of the
\nAustro-Hungarian Empire.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Art historian Irina Leca told us that
\nRomania is very competitive in terms of attracting foreign tourists. There are
\na few dozen castles and mansions that are particularly attractive:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The list is quite long, and a circuit of these castles,
\nwhich are historic monuments, would be feasible and very attractive to the
\nforeign public. Also, it is very interesting that, just as the French have the
\nLoire Valley, we also have two rivers that have on their left and right a
\ncollier of castles. On the Mures Valley, from Toplita to the border, there are
\ndozens of mansions, some of which can be visited and are beautiful, though
\nothers are in a not so good a state. Over the Carpathians there lies the Trotus
\nValley. In Darmanesti, Doftana and Comanesti, there are noble mansions which
\nare quite picturesque and interesting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Sebastian Marcoci is the manager of the Sturdza Mansion in
\nMiclauseni, a 600 year old architectural jewel in eastern Romania, with a rich
\nhistory. Here is what he told us:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We are talking about the Sturdza family, a very rich
\nfamily from Moldavia, with a beautiful story. George Sturdza and Maria Ghica
\nbuilt a castle here in the Neogothic style on the structure of the old mansion.
\nIt is a special thing in our area. The construction lasted around 24 years. Its
\ninterior is painted in the Art Nouveau style. Maria Ghica was born in Istanbul.
\nShe learned to paint miniatures there. That is also where she leaned English,
\nand in 1869 she married George Sturdza. After the wedding, the two took a trip
\nthrough western countries, Germany, France, and Austria. Upon their return,
\nthey decided to turn their mansion into the
\nMiclauseni castle.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The Sturdza domain has three essential components: a 30 ha tree
\npark, the monastery, and the mansion, standing for the spiritual, the cultural,
\nand the natural components. Sebastian Marcoci:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The castle can be visited every weekend, between noon and
\n6 PM. There are events throughout the year, but each year, in early September,
\nwe organize an event which is particularly dear to our hearts. It is a festival
\ncalled ‘Trip to 1900’. We go back in time, creating a period atmosphere in the
\nmansion and around it. It usually takes place on the first or second weekend of
\nSeptember. We got the idea from tourists, who wanted to dress up and relive the
\nturn of the century period. We thought about that possibility and we can now
\noffer them costumes to rent, and the food served reflects the gastronomy of 1900.
\nWe have vintage cars, horse drawn carriages, and we organize thematic
\nworkshops. We also have shows with period music, written by Anton Pann, or
\nmusic recorded between the wars.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Romania also plays host to an International Festival of Castles,
\nwhich in 2017 reaches its third edition. The festival takes place between May 27 and 28 at Corvinus Castle in
\nHunedoara. <\/p>\n
(Translated by Calin Cotoiu)<\/p>\n
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Romania has preserved about one thousand of the local elites’ out-of-town residences built between the 17th and 20th centuries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":148839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-148838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n