In the center of the locality that we are about to enter, a little to the left and to the front, lies the Ghica Palace of Căciulați (since the Ghica families built more such palaces, the closest being the Ghica Tei Palace in Colentina).
Dimitrie Ghica, the prince’s father, started building the palace in 1832, as a summer residence, between the hamlets of Mavrodin and Fienari, and during the same year broke ground for the church with the wake of “Dormition of the Virgin” (Adormirea Maicii Domnului) nearby.
The palace has pleasing and interesting architecture, with large ball-rooms and fully equipped rooms. It is found in a park made up of linden secular trees. The back terrace opens onto an enchanting, yet unkempt garden, and a beautiful lake. The furniture in Louis XVI style, found in one of the bedrooms, used to belong to Elena Lupescu, who lived here for a while.
In 1924, after some disputes, the inheriting families Blară/Emberg, Filipescu and Mavrocordat, donated the palace to the Romanian Academy, which still manages it to this day, after all the different uses it has had.
Right next to the palace there is the “Dormition of the Virgin” church, which was built in the neoclassical style. The inscription at the entrance of the church includes the following text: “This holy church was built by Alexandru Ghica, the prince of Wallachia in 1832 and was restored by Blară/Emberg in 1890”.
The alley that leads to the palace was lined with secular linen trees, and the building is surrounded by a 15 ha park. There were also two artesian wells, a greenhouse for flowers, a guest house, stables and a river with lotus flowers.
The lawn facing the lake was a wide space were people used to play cricket. As Emanoil Hagi-Mosco describes it: “The lake had its charm, enclosed between the two higher hills, with a garden on one side and the forest on the other; with little islands of reed (...) grooved by lotus flowers.”
These days, the palace is better known for the films that are shot here. Famous actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Wesley Snipes, etc., have worked here.
Dimitrie Ghica, the prince’s father, started building the palace in 1832, as a summer residence, between the hamlets of Mavrodin and Fienari, and during the same year broke ground for the church with the wake of “Dormition of the Virgin” (Adormirea Maicii Domnului) nearby.
The palace has pleasing and interesting architecture, with large ball-rooms and fully equipped rooms. It is found in a park made up of linden secular trees. The back terrace opens onto an enchanting, yet unkempt garden, and a beautiful lake. The furniture in Louis XVI style, found in one of the bedrooms, used to belong to Elena Lupescu, who lived here for a while.
In 1924, after some disputes, the inheriting families Blară/Emberg, Filipescu and Mavrocordat, donated the palace to the Romanian Academy, which still manages it to this day, after all the different uses it has had.
Right next to the palace there is the “Dormition of the Virgin” church, which was built in the neoclassical style. The inscription at the entrance of the church includes the following text: “This holy church was built by Alexandru Ghica, the prince of Wallachia in 1832 and was restored by Blară/Emberg in 1890”.
The alley that leads to the palace was lined with secular linen trees, and the building is surrounded by a 15 ha park. There were also two artesian wells, a greenhouse for flowers, a guest house, stables and a river with lotus flowers.
The lawn facing the lake was a wide space were people used to play cricket. As Emanoil Hagi-Mosco describes it: “The lake had its charm, enclosed between the two higher hills, with a garden on one side and the forest on the other; with little islands of reed (...) grooved by lotus flowers.”
These days, the palace is better known for the films that are shot here. Famous actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Wesley Snipes, etc., have worked here.
