Lake Mogoșoaia

Soon after the beheading of the prince, the palace of Mogoaia, with its luxurious decorations and interior painted walls, was devastated and robbed by the Ottoman armies. Regained only many years later by the widow of the prince, Mogosoaia Palace was just a ruin, and continued to be attacked even in the following years by the Ottoman Empire. Through a dramatic matrimonial alliance, the palace eventually went into the property of another noble family, Bibescu.

Martha Bibescu, a rich aristocrat and talented writer, received Mogosoaia Palace as a gift from her husband the renovation works actually began. This long and complicated process started before the First World War and ended only in 1935, although Martha Bibescu started living in the palace a few years before, transforming it into one of the trendiest aristocratic residencies from this part of Europe.

Faithful to the original plans of the palace and invested with all the importance of her ancestors, Martha Bibescu was the one who transformed a ruin into a veritable work of art of the Brancovenesc style, an architectural theme developed centuries before by Prince Constantin Brancoveanu.

An original combination of local, Byzantine, Italian and Baroque elements, this architectural style is very elegant and well-balanced, using rich decorations for its rock carved columns and porches. The renovation process led by the young architect emphasized perfectly the features of this architectural legacy, making the palace again one of the highlights of the Brancovenesc style.

As all private property in Romania, the palace was confiscated in 1948 by the communist authorities, and Martha Bibescu was forced to leave the country. The palace functioned as a museum ever since. The basement is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the demolished Vacaresti Monastery.Read more