At about 100 km away from Bucharest, near Pitesti, among hills, one may find a source of quiet and culture. It is the present Museum of Golesti (Street Banul Golescu, 1), former mansion of the Lords of Golescu family, symbol of culture in the Arges area since the XV th century.
The Museum was founded on June 7, 1939, by King Carol II of Romania, and now containes the Church from 1646 , the mansion, the parc and an outdoor “Village Museum”. The Golesti Mansion was built in 1640 by Stroe Leurdeanu and it is the only fortified medieval laic construction in the country.
Historical dates :
-1821 – Tudor Vladimirescu, a romanian revolutionary, friend of the Golescu brothers, was captured in the defense tower of this mansion
-1826-1830- The scholar Dinicu Golescu founded here the first modern school with teaching in romanian language, for all the local children , regardless gender or socaial status
Carol Davila, born Carlo Antonio Francesco d’Avila, was a romanian doctor and pharmacist, of French origin, born in 1828 in Parma, Italy. He studied in Germany and France, and at the invitation of the ruler Barbu Stirbei he came , “for 3 years” , to help organize the romanian sanitary system. He remained for the rest of his life, working under the protectorate of the rulers Barbu Stirbei and Alexandru Ion Cuza, and of King Carol I of Romania.
On April 30, 1861 he married his beloved Anica Racovita, granddaughter of the Golesti Brothers, with whom he had 4 children. They all lived and spent vacations for a period of time in this Mansion. The room of the couple and an old surgical toolbox of Carol Davila can be seen and visited inside the Museum.
More informations in the Museum's official website.
- Main text and pictures by Daniela Mihaila and Sinziana Ionescu (August 2013)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
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