luxury property for sale Craiova, Romania

Nestled within the enchanting landscapes of Dobra, the Poenaru Manor stands as a testament to the grandeur and elegance of a bygone era. Surrounded by lush vegetation and green hills, this stately residence exudes an air of mystery and historical significance, having once been the cherished abode of the illustrious boyar family of Poenaru. One of the most prominent boyar families of Oltenia, the Poenaru dynasty is a large one, with important representatives in the political, cultural and scientific life of Romania during the last two centuries. The story of the Dobra domain starts with Costadin (Dinca) Poenaru (1789-1874) who inherits and then extends family’s lands all across Mehedinți county. But is is Constantin Poenaru (1860-1946) the one that puts his entire life and energy into developing the Dobra Domain to what it is today. Approaching the manor, one is immediately struck by the imposing façade that speaks of both opulence and noble heritage. The architecture seamlessly combines Classical and Renaissance influences, resulting in a harmonious blend of intricate stonework, sober features but also delicate ornate details. As you step inside, a sense of timelessness envelops you. The interior exudes an aura of faded grandeur, with high vaulted ceilings adorned by old bricks walls that can tell some century old tales and historical events. The grand foyer, illuminated by the soft glow of antique chandeliers, leads to a series of once lavishly decorated rooms. The heart of the manor is undoubtedly the grand hall, a space designed to host extravagant gatherings and events. Towering windows allow natural light to cascade onto the large halls that lead to rooms who used to be used for living, for doing business or for spending time with friends. The expansive gardens that envelop the Poenaru Manor are a verdant paradise, with a large wallnuts orchard, vibrant flowerbeds, and meandering pathways that invite contemplative strolls. The domain contains a series of very valuable annex buildings: small renovated house (128 sqm), a beautiful former barn (166 sqm), the large storage (3 levels on a 327 sqm footprint) and a small block of apartments (2 levels on a 174 sqm footprint). The total land plot has 11 hectares , out of which 7 are owned and 4 are leased from the city hall. While time has inevitably left its mark on the Poenaru Manor, it remains a well preserved cherished jewel in Dobra's and Oltenia’s historical tapestry, a living testament to the legacy of the boyar family that once graced its halls. It can be used as such, as a beautiful residence for permanent living or for vacation, or can be turned into a small farm, a beautiful boutique hotel or a medical care center.

Surrounded by abundant vegetation, the tower lifts its tiled roof to survey the distance. Times are quiet now, but at the end of the 18th century when it was built, Pazvantoglu, the pasa from Vidin known to the residents as Pazvante Chioru, used to raid the area. The Phanariot lordships did not have the ability to ensure the protection of the territories far from the capital, that is why the Oltenian boyars built forts, fortified houses meant to protect their wealth in case of attack. It is interesting to note the uniqueness of this type of construction, which was no longer built after 1821 because the attacks stopped after Tudor Vladimirescu's revolution, therefore their construction no longer made sense. The rarity makes the appearance of such a house on the real estate market an event, an opportunity. The word cula comes from the Turkish, where kule means tower, and names this type of one-story house that can be found here in the south of the country, but also south of the Danube, in Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia from North, Montenegro, Kosovo Region. The house of the Voiculescu family follows the classical architectural line, having compact, solid volumes, well placed on the ground, located in an isolated place, surrounded by countryside and peace, with good visibility over the area. With thick walls, internal stairs between floors, reinforced doors, hiding places, narrow windows and hatches, today the cule are private homes or appreciated and loved tourist units. The Brancoveneanu-inspired loggia is a wonderful place to avoid too hot summers, and the wine cellar has potential for winter shelter in front of a fireplace and mulled wine. Cula became the property of the current family in 1915, having been bought by Ion .V Voiculescu, landlord, son of the teacher Vasile Voiculescu and grandson of the peasant-deputy Ioan Voicu(lescu), who represented Gorj alongside the famous Gheorghe Magheru and Christian Tell (the historical moments were immortalized in Bucharest by the photographer Carol Popp de Szathmary - see photo). Although coming from a not very rich family, Ion V. Voiculescu still had some land that attracted the attention of the rebels during the 1907 peasant rebellion and later allowed himself to buy 250 ha from Dimitrie I. Mongescu. Cula is located on these newly acquired lands. The Mongescu family had close ties with Tudor Vladimirescu and the revolutionary movement led by him, one great-grandfather, Vasile Moanga (Mongescu), being a good friend of Tudor Vladimirescu and the treasurer of his revolutionary 1821 movement. History says that before reading the declaration in Pades, Tudor Vladimirescu and his people spent the night in the cula of Copaceni (the current Voiculescu cula in Cornesti), which at that time supposedly belonged to Barbu Viisoreanu, an influential administrator in the county and deputy of Gorj during the Organic Regulation. More recent history shows that Ion Voiculescu donated the house and the 10.5 ha that surrounded it to his son, Vasile Voiculescu, who later, in 1949, was forcibly removed from the house by communists in the middle of the night; his wealth was expropriated, the former nobleman receiving mandatory residence in a room in Targu Jiu and being forced to work as a porter in the city station, unloading freight wagons. The state neglected the cula; between 1947-1997 it was transformed into an I.A.S., with day laborers staying on the ground floor, chickens raised in the hallways and sheep sheltered in the attic in winter. The descendants of the boyar expropriated by the communists today own the building together with the 10.5 ha of land.