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| 1798 Cantacuzino Castle from Buşteni (1) |
Located in Buşteni, a small mountain town in the Prahova Valley, at the bottom of the Bucegi mountains (in the Southern Carpathians), Cantacuzino Castle is a remarkable example of Neo-Romanian style, completed in 1911. The building made of bricks and stone was built at the wish of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (known as "the Nabob" because of its fabulous wealth - prime minister of Romania between 1899-1900 and 1904-1907), after the plans of the architect Gregory Cerchez, former Chief Engineer of Bucharest (the capital of Romania) between 1876 and 1879. The castle is surrounded by a park who’s alleys take you to the grotto, cascades and fountains.
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| 1799 Cantacuzino Castle from Buşteni (2) |
The castle holds an unique collection representing the coat of arms of the boyar families related to the Cantacuzino family members of the Wallachian side. The Cantacuzino family, a princely family of Wallachia, Moldavia and Russia, claims descent from a branch of the Greek Kantakouzenos family, descended from the Byzantine EmperorJohn VI Kantakouzenos (reigned 1347-1354). The castle belonged to this family until the forced nationalization of 1948, when it became a sanatorium for the Ministry of Internal Affair. After 1989, it was returned to Cantacuzino descendants, who sold it to private investors in 2004. The castle underwent restoration work and today it is open to the public.
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