Mogoșoaia Palace (, ) is situated about from
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
. It was built between 1698 and 1702 by
Constantin Brâncoveanu
Constantin Brâncoveanu (; 1654 – August 15, 1714) was List of Wallachian rulers, Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714.
Biography
Ascension
Constantin Brâncoveanu was the son of Pope Brâncoveanu (Matthew) and his wife, Stanca Can ...
in what is called the Romanian Renaissance style or
Brâncovenesc style. The palace bears the name of the widow of the Romanian
boyar
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. C ...
Mogoș, who owned the land it was built on.
History
After 1714, when
Constantin Brâncoveanu
Constantin Brâncoveanu (; 1654 – August 15, 1714) was List of Wallachian rulers, Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714.
Biography
Ascension
Constantin Brâncoveanu was the son of Pope Brâncoveanu (Matthew) and his wife, Stanca Can ...
was executed with his entire family in
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, all the family's wealth was confiscated by the Ottomans and the palace was converted into an inn. Rebought by Prince Ștefan Cantacuzino, he returned it to Brâncoveanu's grandson Constantin, and remained with the family until the early nineteenth century.
The palace was devastated by the
Ottomans
Ottoman may refer to:
* Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire
* Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II"
* Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
during the
Russo-Turkish War
The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...
of 1768–1774. It was later granted by prince Grigore to his daughter, Zoe Mavrocordat, who had married George D. Bibescu, sovereign Prince of
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
. The palace remained within Bibescu family and was renovated by Nicolae Bibescu.
In November 1916, during the
Romanian Campaign
The Kingdom of Romania was neutral for the first two years of World War I, entering on the side of the Allied powers from 27 August 1916 until Central Power occupation led to the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918, before reentering the war on 10 ...
of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the palace at Mogoșoaia was bombed by the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
air forces.
Bought from Marie-Nicole by her cousin (and head of the princely house),
Prince George Bibesco, the palace was given to his wife, Princess Martha. He later deeded the land to her, too. Martha spent her private fortune for the reconstruction. In the late 1920s and the 1930s, the palace became the meeting place for politicians and for the international high society.
When Prince George died in 1941, he was buried in the small, white 1688 church on the grounds of the palace.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Prince
Antoine Bibesco
Prince Antoine Bibesco (; July 19, 1878 – September 2, 1951) was a Romanian aristocrat, lawyer, diplomat, and writer.
Biography
He was born as the son of Prince Alexandre Bibesco, the last surviving son of the ''Duke'' of Wallachia and ...
(a cousin of George Bibesco) and his wife
Elizabeth Bibesco
Elizabeth, Princess Bibesco (born Elizabeth Charlotte Lucy Asquith; 26 February 1897 – 7 April 1945) was an English socialite, actress and writer between 1921 and 1940. She was the daughter of H. H. Asquith, the British Prime Minister, and th ...
refused to flee the country. When Elizabeth died of pneumonia on April 7, 1945, she was buried in the Bibesco family vault on the grounds of Mogoșoaia. Neither Elizabeth Bibesco's husband, Antoine, nor George Bibesco's wife, Martha, could be buried beside them, as they both died during the
Communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
regime. After 1945, the palace was forcibly nationalized by the
communist authorities, and the owners, Valentina and Dimitrie Ghika-Comănești, were arrested. Some of its precious art collections disappeared during this period. In 1957, it eventually became a museum.
The palace is now a popular tourist destination, but although the grounds and gardens are beautiful, the interior of the palace itself is under reconstruction and presently houses a museum and art gallery (''Muzeul de Artă Brâncovenească'').
The exterior and tunnels of the complex were featured in 2018 film
''The Nun''.
Gallery
File:Mogosoaia Palace, view from the garden.JPG
File:Palatul Mogosoaia.jpg, View of the entrance
File:RO IF Mogosoaia Palace watchtower 1.jpg
File:Parcul şi grădina Palatului Mogoşoaia 1.JPG
File:RO IF Mogosoaia Palace Guest House.jpg, Mogoșoaia Guest House
File:Bucuresti, Romania. PALATUL BRANCOVENESC de la MOGOSOAIA. (Biserica Sfantul Gheorghe - tricolor)(IF-II-a-A-15298).jpg, Mogoșoaia church
File:Palatul Mogoșoaia (5).jpg
File:RO IF Mogosoaia Palace Bibescu family tomb.jpg
File:RO IF Mogosoaia palace Mihai and George Bibescu tombs.jpg
File:Mogosoaia_at_Mini_Europe.jpg, Miniature of Mogosoaia palace at Mini-Europe
Mini-Europe is a miniature park located in the Bruparck entertainment park, at the foot of the Atomium, in Brussels, Belgium. Mini-Europe has reproductions of monuments in the European Union and other countries within the continent of Europe on ...
References
External links
* Mogoșoaia Palace Artifacts:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mogosoaia Palace
Museums in Ilfov County
Historic monuments in Ilfov County
Palaces in Romania
Art museums and galleries in Romania
1702 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
Brâncovenesc style architecture