On the soft hills of Moldova, on the border between Neamț and Iași counties, on the territory of Butea commune, a unique architectural gem is hidden in the forest: a neo-Gothic castle whose walls have survived despite wars, the Soviet invasion, fires and communism.
The castle was completed in 1904. PHOTO: Shutterstock
At the Sturdza Castle, on the former estate of the Miclăușeni, young ladies in crinolines accompanied by gentlemen in tuxedos lived love stories or great disappointments. Here foreign travelers stopped on their peregrinations in the lands of Moldavia, the boyars of Divan set up alliances and broke ties. In the morning, at dawn, a duel ended a life, but not a drama. Here, George Sturdza and his wife, Maria Ghica, dreamed of growing old in peace and, after they were no more, to hear children’s voices again from the castle’s corners. But it was not to be.
In the ancient world of the castellans
A waltz sounds from the gramophone that takes us to the world of yesteryear. “It all started with a love story, between George Sturdza and Maria Ghica”, begins the story of guide Sebastian Marcoci. We enter the ancient world of the castellans. We step slowly on the floor and slip very carefully among the few exhibits that are left of their world, as if afraid of breaking the thread that separates us from the sunset age. The Sturdza Palace in Miclaușeni, the silent witness of so many historical transformations, causes emotion even in ruins. Behind the soot of centuries and fires, one can see escutcheons, remnants of the black chest wood, stained with the ink that flowed from a golden case, the sign where once hung a chandelier that cast crystal light at dusk, the rosewood window which opened to let into the castle the sweet smell of the first axemen, the heat of summer days, the gentle autumn sun and the Christmas frost drawing ice flowers.
A castle on the outskirts of Iasi. PHOTO: miclauseni.ro
George and Maria built their castle 155 years ago on the former estate of Miclauș, the nobleman who received a large area from Siretului meadow from Mr. Alexandru cel Bun. However, the descendants of Vornic Miclăuş sold the estate to the treasurer Simion Stroici, who built a mansion whose remains were preserved until 1880, when the construction of the current castle began. Through a will, the treasurer Simion Stroici bequeathed the village of Miclăuşeni to “Lupu Prăjăscului and to my niece Safta, and to my son, in Gligorie, with helestees and prisacs and with all the income, because I took them to them in order to let them be children of the soul”.
A castle under the coat of arms of the Sturdzesti
At the end of the 17th century, the descendants of Lupu Prăjescu, having no heirs, left the domain to the Sturdza brothers, the Miclăuşeni estate returning to Ioan. After he married Maria Ghica, born in Istanbul, where his father was governor, they chose the Miclaușeni estate as a place to live and found their own family. The construction of the neo-Gothic style castle, with decorative elements of German, French and Austrian inspiration, took ten years. “It was like a wedding gift, and the two brought to the castle everything they had seen most beautiful during the time they stayed in the West where they walked a year after their marriage”, says the guide for “Weekend Adevărul”. The castle has a romantic aura, with three watchtowers raised above the domain gates, lace walls and attention to every detail. Most of the exterior decorations of the castle take back details from the coat of arms of the Sturdzesti, which contained the cross with the snake and the lion.
The interior was a real gem: the ceilings and walls were painted in tempera by Maria for ten years, with geometric and floral motifs, the furniture was carved in rosewood, Dalmatian marble was used for the central staircase, and terracotta for the stoves carved and painted. The heating of the castle was done through the walls, during the winter, the temperature inside was 18-19 degrees Celsius. Some rooms had parquet similar to the ceiling, being created in mirror. The castle had a vast library and several collections: of arms and complete medieval costumes, for horse and rider, jewelry collection, rare archaeological, numismatic and epigraphic pieces and a collection of busts in Carrara marble, old oil paintings, representing ancestors of the Sturdza family. In the castle there was also a remarkable private library, one of the largest in Moldova, which contained approximately 60,000 volumes, including incunabula and many princeps or very rare editions. The work to complete the castle took 24 years. A tunnel connected the castle and the village, and wines obtained from the vineyards of Moldavia aged year by year in the cellar.
A neo-Gothic gem. PHOTO: miclauseni.ro
For 40 years it was a beautiful time. Carol I visited here in 1898, during the military maneuvers around Roman, and the future King Mihai I in 1939, after the Baccalaureate exam, accompanied by several classmates. Catherine, the only child of George and Mary, inherited a fabulous castle – she had neither it nor happiness. In her youth, she married Şerban Cantacuzino, a rich prince from the Cantacuzino family, but who quickly died of an incurable disease.
The castle and the wars
During the first world war, a part of the castle was turned into a military hospital, and Maria Ghica and her daughter, Ecaterina Cantacuzino, stood at the head of the wounded as nurses. Here they brought the great composer George Enescu, who sang to the wounded. During the Second World War, the castle was abandoned, Ecaterina taking refuge in Roman, the front being a short distance away. When the Soviet army came, she was the sole owner of the castle. He failed to save much. The castle was devastated and thousands of books were burned. In winter, the soldiers no longer went down to collect wood and set fire to everything they saw at hand, everything that could be burned: furniture and books wrapped in leather. When leaving, the Russians took everything that could be taken: the collections, paintings, medieval armor, chandeliers, jewelry, silverware. Over time, only four original books have been preserved, which are currently at the Romanian Academy. After the Russians left, the locals came in and devastated the castle. Pages from the rare books had ended up being used for packing the goods from the Târgu Frumos fairs, as well as furniture items. “Some are still in the village, we still receive donations of rare objects stolen long ago from the castle”, the guide confesses.
Donation to the Church and grain store
After the war, Ecaterina Cantacuzino donated the castle to the Roman Diocese, but also the 30-hectare park, the church founded by her parents, with the aim of setting up a nunnery here. The communists, however, expelled the nuns from the castle. Ecaterina Cantacuzino became a monk under the name of Mother Macrina, at the Cozancea Hermitage in Botoșani, where she died in 1953, at the age of 80.
The magnificent building has become a grain warehouse, a military explosives warehouse. At one point, a home for children with severe mental disabilities also operated here, until 2001. While it was functioning, a fire broke out in the attic of the castle, which destroyed the last original furniture of the castle. In 2001, the castle was retroceded to the Metropolitanate of Moldova and Bucovina, and the placement center moved to the village of Cozmeşti in the commune of Stolniceni-Prăjescu. Since then, the renovation of the castle began, which has not ended even today.
“Orient Express”, at the gate of the castle
Even in a state of ruin, the place attracted big names in the cinema, being the setting of the movie “Orient Express”, directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu, himself playing the main role of Prince Morudzi. “Miclăuşeni castle is quite unknown, as an architecture, among Romanian castles, and I say that it is a place that does us honor. It’s a wonderful monastery, the things are extraordinary and prove the existence of a special culture. The Metropolitanate of Moldavia and Bucovina understood our need very well and agreed to film in Miclăuşeni”, declared Sergiu Nicolaescu at the time. “Orient Express” premiered in September 2004 and was the most viewed Romanian film of that year.
The castle, although undergoing restoration, is open to the public. The cost of a ticket is 20 lei. In addition to the history lesson, tourists can dine at the nearby restaurant or freely walk in the forest that surrounds the palace. Every year, several events are organized here, such as a fair of crafts, spring traditions, children’s books. Every year at the beginning of September, tourists can experience the world of the Belle Epoque through a “Journey to 1900”.
