A Dark Story

Ancient stories. A walk through a large park, in fact the garden of a palace located very close to Bucharest. For those who cannot easily locate Bucharest, it is the capital of Romania.

The palace in the story is called Mogosoaia Palace. It was built for Constantin Brancoveanu, the most unhappy Romanian ruler, in 1700. Unhappy because he was killed by the Turks together with his four boys.

After Brancoveanu's death, the palace had various owners and various uses and in 1826 it came into the possession of another Romanian ruler, Nicolae Bibescu. The Bibescu family made important renovations and constructions and brought the palace close to the shape it is now.

The glory period of the palace was after the 1900s, when the tenant and owner was Martha Bibescu, the wife of Prince George-Valentin Bibescu. Martha Bibescu, poet and diplomat, was a controversial figure of interwar Romania. Some admired her and considered her a great patriot, others accused her of collaborating with Germany that had occupied Romania or that she was a kind of Mata-Hari of Romania. What is important for us now is that thanks to her, this beautiful complex of buildings and gardens has remained, now a museum!

I am glad that I can easily walk through the palace garden. It only takes me ten minutes from my home to the palace. The palace is built on the shores of a lake and the park is wonderful, it was arranged a hundred years ago, many trees are older than a century!

The walk through the huge park invariably leads to an impressive construction. Impressive not by size, impressive because of its usefulness. The family tomb built by George Bibescu, after 1860.

Prince George Bibescu is buried here. On the roof are two tombstones that cover the graves of the prince's two nephews, Michael and George. Aviators in World War II, both died at the age of 22. Impressive!

In fact, the whole family was buried in this grave. Husbands and wives. I liked the inscription on the tombstone of Layd Elisabeth Asquith, Princess Bibescu, born in London in 1898 and died in Bucharest on April 6, 1945.

"My soul has gained the freedom of the night"

The destiny and life of the characters of the past, of the aristocrats, has always been an attraction for people. Some admire them and others detest them. But what seems undeniable is their honor and patriotism as well as their often tragic destiny.

With these in mind, I chose to put only black and white photos but also a short film made by pickartfilm and which I found on Youtube. A colorful palate.

Mogosoaia Palace is a must visit if you ever arrive in Romania. Not only the gardens but also the exhibitions are places to visit and not to forget!