Royal Residences of Sinaia

Description

The Royal Residences of Sinaia were born as a result of political will combined with a well-grounded artistic education of Carol I, the first King of Romania. Member of the German Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, Carol I was chosen in 1866 by the Government of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia to rule the young country and was elected King of Romania in 1881 after the victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, also known as the Romanian War of Independence. The rule of Carol I accelerated the modernisation of the state – a socio-cultural, administrative, economical, educational, and architectural process following Western European principles that began in the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, as well as in other regions in the Balkans, at the end of the 18th century, with the enhancement of economical exchanges with the western and central european countries, and evolved throughout the 19th century.

With its unique artistic, architectural, landscape and technical features, the Royal Residences of Sinaia represents the cradle of the new dynasty, an imposing monument symbol of the state’s independence and its modernisation. Also, with the use of eclectic historicism in architecture, interior and exterior decorations and of cópies of internationally renowned works of arts and architecture, Carol I and the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family aimed to legitimise themselves in their adoptive homeland located at the “Gates of the East”, as well as to raise Romania’s prestige on the international arena.

Location and setting:

Located close to the  Monastery of Sinaia where the royal couple used to come on a yearly basis, the virgin mountainous landscape where the regal domain stands was familiar to Carol I and Elisabeta due to its similarities to their native land. Chosen by Carol I around 1871/1872, soon after his arrival in the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, the site was at that point almost at the border of the country with Austria-Hungary, but relatively central to what would later become the Kingdom of Romania.

The royal domain is comprised of three castles – Peleș, Pelișor and Foișor, out of which Peleș and Pelișor were used as official royal summer residences and represent the most important and complex buildings on site – and several annexes built both for economic, security, and hosting purposes located, all of which constructed inside a vast designed park, surrounded by secular forests and mountain cliffs. The royal domain was continuously extended and developed throughout almost the entire 48 years of the rule of Carol I, as well as by its successors, with each generation living in its respective castle (King Carol I at Peleș castle; King Ferdinand at Pelișor castle; King Carol II and King Michael at Foișor castle).

Due to the continuous development and use of the domain by the King as summer residence, the initially small village of Sinaia rapidly grew into a modern town with multiple private villas, most of which built according to the architectural style of the royal ensemble and belonging to the regal entourage, luxurious hotels, a casino and a park, as well as a unique railway station, that added Sinaia on the Orient-Express and Arlberg-Express international train voyage routes (the exclusive map comprising cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, Istanbul, Milan, Zürich, Budapest or Athens). Also, the King funded the future development and enlargement of the monastery of Sinaia and built a new, bigger church. Thus, the construction and use of the royal domain directly contributed to the development of a modern and highly complex urban landscape within a mountainous region.

An international and interdisciplinary process:

The planning and the works on both the buildings and the park represented a collaborative work of an internationally and interdisciplinary group of specialists and trained workmen, closely monitored by Carol I. They were brought to Romania for long-term periods, as part of an influx of highly-qualified professionals from around Europe and elsewhere.

Planning and building the castles, annexes and the park involved regionally and internationally renowned specialists such as Austrian architect Wilhelm von Doderer, British architect Hugh Baillie Scott, Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, German landscape architects Wilhelm Knechtel and Friedrich Rebhuhn, Austrian designer Bernhard Ludwig, Italian sculptor Rafaello Romanelli, German sculptor Martin Stöhr etc.; while the construction works were carried out by Italian masons, German and Hungarian carpenters, Turkish brick workers, Polish and Czech stonemasons, English and French draftsmen, etc.

The buildings and the parkland:

The Peleș castle represents the main, largest and most important of the three royal residences in Sinaia. It was built soon after the Foișor castle - a hunting lodge (1878, rebuilt in 1933) - and was intended as a dynastic monument and cradle of the new monarchy, becoming after the Romanian War of Independence a symbol of the state’s independence.

The castle represents a unique example of eclectic historicism and technical engineering work, funded and closely monitored by Carol I, planned, built and decorated by European renowned specialists. The works for its construction were commissioned in 1872/1873 by the young ruler to the German architect Wilhelm von Doderer, but due to the high costs of Doderer’s project, the residence was finally built by architect Johannes Schulz. When finished and inaugurated in 1883, the castle resembled a Swiss chalet with a main tower and was faithful to the German neo-renaissance, a style chosen by the royal couple in accordance to the site – a mountainous landscape that represented a specific background for German romanticism. Following the victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, fundamental transformations (extension of the building, redesign of the façades and of the interiors) were undertaken according to the plans by French architect André Lecomte du Noüy and mainly by Czech architect Karel Liman. The result was a taller and larger residence in German neo-renaissance style mixed with inherited Fachwerk elements, and Italian neo-renaissance elements on the outside. On the inside, the castle featured a large diversity of stylistic options: German, Italian and English neo-renaissance, Louis XVI, Austrian neo-baroque, Art Nouveau, Mauresque, etc., some of which were created by Gustav Klimt, Bernhard Ludwig, Rafaello Romanelli, Martin Stöhr and many others. Apart from the artistic qualities of the castle, the technical engineering of the building stands out. The highly complex system of drainage pipes meant to stabilise the soil on the grounds on which the castle was built, the lightning system (one of the first European royal residence with an integrated electric system powered by a dedicated near-by hydropower plant) as well as the integrated heating and cleaning systems represent examples of innovative engineering works. Despite their age, some have not changed significantly over time and still function today.

The Pelișor castle represents a unique work of art and architecture that perfectly integrates in the royal architectural ensemble, but was conceived rather similar to British cottages and totally differentiates itself from Peleș castle on the inside. Commissioned by Carol I as a summer residence for the Crown Prince couple Ferdinand and Maria and built between 1899-1903, the exterior of the castle was designed with Fachwerk structures in order to be integrated into the architectural complex, but features a diversity of styles, particularly Art Nouveau/Arts and Crafts and also neo-Romanian, on the inside. Karel Liman coordinated the planning and construction of the castle, while British architect Hugh Baillie Scott designed furniture pieces and interior decorations based on Princess Maria's, later Queen Maria's, artistic preferences and specifications.

Besides Peleș and Pelișor, the architectural ensemble at Sinaia, with an interesting and clear urban design, comprises numerous other buildings, mostly built during the reign of Carol I (1866-1914): a hydropower plant, a guard’s house, two stables, a servants’ building, a greenhouse and a gardener’s house, a military staff house, an architect’s house, a Maori hut, a fox farm, etc. The architecture and exterior decorations of these buildings have similar features to Peleș and Pelișor castles and are located in a late 19th-early 20th century designed park, planted with species from all over Europe, the Americas and the Himalayan plateau, surrounded by vast secular forests in which King Carol I had German gardener Wilhelm Knechtel (former imperial gardener of Maximilian I of Mexico) plan and build a series of walkways with planned viewpoints leading all the way up to an alpine meadow several kilometres away from the Peleș castle. 

Decorations:

Representative for the interior and the exterior of both castles, as well as their surrounding gardens, the decorations are an ingenious and well-integrated mixture of originals and cópies (interpretations) of different internationally renowned works of art and architecture meant to symbolically place and link the new Romanian royal family into the cultural history of Europe. Among the originals, the most important are the decorative ensembles such as Gustav Klimt’s royal ancestors’ gallery (main staircase) and Muses and Allegories (theatre hall) or Dora Hitz’s panels for the Queen's music hall, as well as the monumental statues representing Carol I and Queen Elisabeta (herself a renowned writer under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva), placed on the terraces surrounding Peleș castle and created by sculptors Oscar Han and Oscar Späthe. Representative cópies are the spiral staircase from the Townhall in Bremen, the Fredenhagen room from the Commerce Chamber in Lübeck, a series of sculptures from the gardens at Versailles, the Neptune fountain from the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, sculptures from the Fontana di Trevi in Rome, the Ariadna statue from the Vatican and many others alike.

Other decorations refer to military equipment (particularly cannons) confiscated by the Romanian army during the War of Independence and placed at Sinaia to serve as mnemonics of war and symbols of victory.

The Royal Residences of Sinaia during Communism:

The Romanian Royal Family used the Royal Residences of Sinaia throughout its reign, with Peleș Castle in particular serving as an official state residence until 1947 when the Communist government forced King Michael’s abdication. The new regime confiscated all private properties and numerous castles, palaces and manors throughout the country were destroyed or severely transformed.

The Royal Residences of Sinaia represent an example of a royal, aristocratic estate that was not intentionally destroyed or severely damaged during Communism and, moreover, was also opened to the public and even partially restored (in the case of Peleș castle). The Peleș castle was transformed into a museum, the Pelișor castle into a house for artists and members of the Communist party, the Foișor castle into an administrative centre for the Communist party and many of the former annexes were transformed into hotels and guest houses. A significant amount of furniture, decorations, works of art, utensils and even archival materials (correspondence, maps and plans, photographs, movies, models, invoices and receipts, etc.) were kept in place or stored and are now available for exhibiting and research – a unique case in Romania and a rare example in Eastern European countries.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Located in a mountainous region, the Peleș Royal Domain comprises several castles and their dependencies laid inside a vast designed park surrounded by secular forests and mountain cliffs. The summer residence blends in the surrounding landscape and was built by the royal family of Romania, of German origin, as a dynastic monument and cradle of the new dynasty, becoming after 1878, a symbol of the Romanian state’s independence and modernization (according to European principles). Due to the fact that it served as a summer residence for the sovereign and, thus, the court had to be close-by, the construction of the royal domain at Sinaia triggered the rapid development of a modern and highly complex urban landscape featuring unique elements at national level.

Developed over a span of time of almost half a century, through the cooperation of an international and interdisciplinary team of architects, artists, gardeners and skilled workmen from all over Europe, the Royal Residences of Sinaia, particularly the Peleș and Pelișor castles and their surrounding gardens represent unique examples of eclectic historicism and innovative technical engineering.

Built in particular faith to the German neo-renaissance, both the castles and the annexes sophisticatedly integrated numerous architectural elements, furniture and decorations of different styles such as Italian and English neo-renaissance, Louis XVI, Austrian neo-baroque, Art Nouveau/Arts and Crafts, Mauresque, neo-Romanian, etc. and are adorned with both original, as well as cópies of different internationally renowned works of art and architecture used to symbolically place and link the new royal family of Romania into the cultural history of Europe.

Criterion (ii): The Royal Residences of Sinaia are a symbol of the state’s profound modernisation, a socio-cultural, administrative, economical, educational, and architectural transformation through the integration of Western European values that span over almost two centuries, and culminated during the reign of Carol I. Unique examples of eclectic historicism and innovative technical engineering works, the Peleș and Pelișor castles and their surrounding gardens were designed according to the taste of their owners and co-authors King Carol I and Crown Princess Maria, and stand as testimony to the efforts of the German family of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to legitimise themselves in the adoptive homeland located at the “Gates of the East''. While Peleș castle was born as a combined result of King Carol I strong political will and solid artistic background, fully aware of the serious academic debate on historical styles, Pelișor castle encompasses Princess Maria’s artistic ideals.

Their construction was possible due to the cooperation of an international and interdisciplinary team of architects, artists, gardeners and skilled workmen from all over Europe over a span of time of almost 50 years, some of which are European and worldwide renowned: Austrian architect Wilhelm von Doderer, Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, German landscape architect Wilhelm Knechtel, Austrian designer Bernhard Ludwig, British architect Hugh Baillie Scott, Italian sculptor Rafaello Romanelli, etc.

The development of the royal domain and the use of Peleș castle as a summer residence since its construction until late 1947 directly contributed to the creation of a modern and highly complex urban landscape in Sinaia featuring unique elements at national level.

Criterion (iv): The Royal domain of Sinaina illustrates through its exemplary landscape design, architecture and art the European and worldwide socio-political and cultural phenomenon that facilitated the consolidation of power through royal family ties.

The Peleș and Pelișor castles represent outstanding examples of eclectic historicism, unique in Eastern Europe. While the Peleș castle fully embraces the historic styles, the Pelișor castle perfectly integrates in the ensemble and combines the historic styles with the emerging styles of the 20th century. Moreover, particularly Peleș castle includes innovative technological works such as lighting (first electrified castle in Europe by onsite power plant), heating and cleaning systems (integrated within the architecture elements), distinctive at the time of their construction – most of which are still in use today in their original form.

Criterion (vi): The Royal Domain of Sinaia was born as a result of political will combined with a well-grounded artistic education of Carol I and his profound understanding of the period styles. The Peleș castle in particular, is a manifestation of European intellectual history in a territory with significant oriental influences.

Early in his life, before becoming a world renowned artist, Gustav Klimt was commissioned by the young King to contribute to the artistic development of the Peleș castle, thus setting out the stage for his fulminant career. Moreover, similar to Gustav Klimt, many artists and musicians of the time, including personalities such as world-renowned musician George Enescu, came under the royal patronage of Queen Elisabeta or Queen Maria (both renowned artists themselves) and were provided with the necessary support to progress in their careers.

Both the Peleș and Pelișor castles and their surrounding gardens featured numerous originals and cópies of different internationally renowned works of art and architecture meant to symbolically place and link the new Romanian royal family into the cultural history of Europe. Most of these works of art continued to be publicly exhibited during Communism and are on display today.

The Peleș and Pelișor castles represented the Seat of the Crown in Romania, being used for state occasions and serving to promote Romania’s independence and modernisation, fully integrated within European ideals. Following the conclusion of the Communist era, they were returned to the Romanian Royal Family and while functioning as national museums, they also serve as venues for annual Royal and State events, including Decoration ceremonies, State Dinners, and receptions for foreign dignitaries and cultural representatives, thus maintaining their active role as symbols of the State and the Crown.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Authenticity

Despite its administrative and legal transformations over the past century, especially due the political regime changes, the Royal Residences of Sinaia remain mostly unchanged until present day, their components and boundaries predominantly intact and well preserved.

After the Communists instituted the republic at the end of 1947, they confiscated all private properties throughout the country and numerous historic residences were destroyed or severely transformed. However, the entire former royal domain at Sinaia is one of the few examples in the country where the property remained mostly unaffected, suffering only minor modifications. Thus, the Peleș castle was transformed into a museum, the Pelișor castle into a house for artists and members of the Communist party, the Foișor castle into a residence/guest house for the Communist leaders and many of the former annexes were transformed into hotels and guest houses.

Later on, after the fall of Communism in 1989, both Peleș and Pelișor castles became state museums and present the history of monarchy in Romania, preserving their relatively untouched historical image, both regarding the exteriors and the interiors. Except the Foișor castle which suffered extensive damage in 1932 and had to be partially rebuilt in 1933 and in 1984/1989, the majority of all the other buildings, the gardens, plantings and walkways are still present today in their relatively original form.

In conclusion, even though the royal ensemble went through various administrative and legal changes, it is preserved as it was initially conceived, representing a living testimony of what it originally symbolised: a royal estate – „cradle of the dynasty, and a place of political decision-making, associated with symbols referring to national independence” (Carol I, 1875, in a letter to his father).

Integrity

The royal domain of Sinaia encompasses all of the historic buildings and landscape designs as well as a large extent of the furnishings and works of art. Present on site, all the built components are intact and in use, serving as national museums (Peleș and Pelișor castles), official presidential residence (Foișor castle), hotels and restaurants, and tourist shops.

The three castles, the annexes and the park preserve most of the interior and exterior movable heritage, consisting of designer furniture and works of art, an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures, as well as an outstanding archive of political and royal family documents. The quality of the architecture and  landscape design, the consistent design of the furnishings and the archive  make the domain a unique documentation of the period.

The protection of the integrity and authenticity of the ensemble is ensured by the Romanian State as the entire royal domain is listed as a historic monument of national and international interest. Also, most of the royal park and the nearby secular forests that make up the historic estates are protected as a nature reserve, Natura 2000 site.

Comparison with other similar properties

The Royal Residences in Sinaia are representative of an international phenomenon specific to the 19th century where monarchs and the high nobility resorted to historicism to strengthen their rule.

The architectural and landscape ensemble at Sinaia are faithful to this historic endeavour while being well integrated in the German family of 19th century romantic castles. They are comparable to the castles and gardens commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee - cultural sites inscribed on the German World Heritage Tentative List), the Schwerin ensemble (cultural landscape inscribed on the German World Heritage Tentative List), the residences and gardens at Sintra in Portugal (Cultural Landscape of Sintra - World Heritage Site), the Miramare castle in Italy, the Chapultepec palace gardens in Mexico. The Peleș and Pelișor castles stand out in the Eastern Europe region as unique examples of the use of different styles and of innovative technical engineering works.

Alike other similar royal residences built particularly in the 19th century which were either briefly inhabited or exclusively by their commissioners, Peleș and Pelișor castles remained in continuous use until late 1947, adapting to the preferences of each successive royal generation, particularly to King Carol I and, afterwards, Queen Maria.