Peleș Castle: History and Architecture of Peleș Castle

Peleș Castle is a nineteenth-century castle near the town of Sinaia, Romania. Tucked away in the Bucegi Mountains, Peleș Castle sits on a historic medieval road that connected Transylvania and Wallachia. Other nearby landmarks include Bran Castle (also known as “Dracula’s Castle”), Sinaia Monastery, and Rasnov Fortress.

In 1873, King Carol I, the first king of Romania, commissioned European architects Johannes Schultz, Carol Benesch, and Karel Liman to design Peleș Castle as a summer residence for the Romanian royal family. Construction of the castle finished in 1883. King Carol I’s successor, King Ferdinand, built a smaller castle nearby called Pelisor Castle. Peleș Castle remained a royal residence until 1947 when, after the end of World War II and the abdication of King Michael I, the Socialist Republic of Romania took control of the property. In 1990, the castle was reopened as a museum and turned into a tourist attraction.

Peleș Castle is a regal building with several notable characteristics.

1. 1. Themed rooms: Peleș Castle features distinct themes for each room, including the Turkish Salon, Italian Room, Moorish Hall, and Imperial Suite. This collection of disparate interior decoration styles reflects King Carol I’s eclectic taste.
2. 2. Entertainment: King Carol I’s wife, Queen Elizabeth of Romania, was a patron of the arts and designed rooms specifically for entertainment. This included the music room on the first floor and a royal library with a secret entryway.
3. 3. Neo-renaissance style: The architects of Peleș Castle drew inspiration from classical European styles like Italian Renaissance and French Baroque. Other distinct features on the exterior of the castle include German stained glass and painted murals.
4. 4. Technology: Although aesthetically classical, the castle was technologically advanced for its time. It included a central heating system and small elevator. With its own power plant on site, Peleș Castle was the first castle in Europe to have electricity.

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