|
RRI newsletter subcription
(e-mail address):
|
 |
Archives:
|
|
| The Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest |
| (2012-05-19) |
| Last updated: 2012-05-21 13:29 EET |
The Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest is among the buildings that have already received the European Heritage Label, with good chances to be among the candidates to regain this title in the future. At present, the palace, which is one of the most impressive and finest buildings located on Victory Road, known for its large number of outstanding monuments, is the seat of the G. Enescu National Museum.
Laura Manolache, the general director of the G. Enescu National Museum has further details about the history of the palace:
Laura Manolache: “This palace was built by Gh. Grigore Cantacuzino, nicknamed The Nabob, who was one of the richest landowners in Romania in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Cantacuzino was the leader of the Conservative Party, prime–minister, and at the time when he started building the most lavish palaces in Bucharest, he was the mayor of Bucharest. The plans were made by a young and promising architect, Ioan Beridei. The Nabob also wanted to work with outstanding painters of the time, such as G.D.Mirea, Nicolae Vermont and Costin Petrescu, the one who painted the frieze in the Grand Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum.”
Built in an eclectic style, with rich architectural decoration that catches the eye, the Cantacuzino Palace has got the princely coat of arms of the Cantacuzino family, located on the circular fronton at the main entrance gate. It is also there that visitors can admire the famous glass porch guarded by two huge lion statues, a replica of the famous lions at the Tuilleries Palace in France.
But how did the Cantacuzino family estate come to be related to the Romanians‘ greatest musician, George Enescu? One possible answer response to this question may reside in that it has to do with the special personality of Maruca Cantacuzino, born Rossetti–Tescanu, who was married to one of the Nobab’s sons and after his death got married to the great Romanian musician.
The couple lived in that house for a while, but they preferred the more intimate and rather modest house behind the palace, which is the current location of the George Enescu Memorial House. This house still preserves the Belle Epoque atmosphere, and keeps some of the memorabilia that belonged to the great Romanian composer and his wife. Tourists can admire the composer’s room and the drawing room where the couple received their guests. What happened to the palace after the Enescu’s death in 1955? Laura Manolache:
Laura Manolache: “In 1956, one year after the composer‘s death, in an attempt to carry on a plan which Maruca Cantacuzino had started with his husband, she asked the Romanian state to set up a museum in the memory of the greatest Romanian musician. Maruca Cantacuzino wanted to donate to this museum everything she had inherited as Enescu’s widow. Therefore the museum was actually founded in June 1956, and Enescu‘s widow donated the composer‘s five violins, his pianos, manuscripts, correspondence and photos. In exchange the Romanian state had to pay her a life annuity of 3,000 French francs. That happened for 13 years, until Maruca’s death in 1969. In 1967 she donated to the museum the three buildings located on Victory Road.“
Nowadays, the G. Enescu National Museum has three departments. Apart from the central building of the Cantacuzino Palace, it includes the Luminis Villa in Sinia and the Dumitru and Alice Rossetti–Tescanu Memorial House in Tescani. The museum organises cultural and music events in all its venues, bringing back to life the evenings and recitals held during the years when George Enescu and Maruca were the key figures of Bucharest‘s cultural life.
|
|
| |
WMA |
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
MP3 |
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
AAC+ |
|
|
48kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
 Historical mascot of
RRI |
2026-06-08
Print
Listen again