Villa Golescu, Argeş County, Romania
A property of Pro Patrimonio Foundation
ON a hillside above the Romanian city of Câmpulung Muscel, Argeş County, is a handsome early 20th-century villa known as the Villa Golescu. Before it lies the cityWallachia's first feudal capital-and above is woodland largely planted by Vasile Golescu, the man responsible for the building of the villa in 1909. Its architecture speaks of the dawning sense of Romanian nationhood that emerged in the later 19th century and enjoyed a rich expression in art, architecture and literature in the first half of the 20th century. The United Romanian Principalities was established in 1862, with the election of Karl von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as prince of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1866; then, with Romania's independence assured after the defeat of the Ottoman empire in 1878, Prince Karl went on to become Carol I, King of Romania.
The pursuit of a national architectural style was not only an undertaking of the royal house, which brought a German inflection to historicism. A department of architecture was also founded at the Bucharest School of Art, led by young architects. Some of them, trained in Paris or Italy, started looking to the Brâncovenesc (or Wallachian Renaissance) style, historic Romanian vernacular building and Orthodox churches for inspiration. The Villa Golescu is an example of this Romanian Revival (or neoRomanian) style, which reached its peak after Transylvania formally became part of the Romanian Kingdom in 1920. The villa is significant because the Golescu family were also active in political reform, with Vasile Golescu's father, Alexandru, being one of the founders of the National Liberal Party of Romania. Golescu Snr went on to serve as Prime Minister of Romania in 1870, a position that had been held by two other members of his family during the 1860s.
Esta historia es de la edición September 04, 2024 de Country Life UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 04, 2024 de Country Life UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
