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Sturdza Palace today

Romania · Restored

Sturdza Palace

Castelul Sturdza de la Miclăușeni

Sturdza Palace (Castelul Sturdza de la Miclăușeni) is a late 19th-century Neo-Gothic palace in the village of Miclăușeni, Iași County, Romania, built by George A. Sturdza on the site of an older manor. The building combines Gothic turrets and spires with Baroque decorative high-relief ornamentation and is set within a 19th-century English-style park; it has undergone restoration since the early 2000s.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1904

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1904

What Sturdza Palace looked like in its prime.

A late-19th-century Neo-Gothic palace of pale ashlar stone with an asymmetrical façade of steep gables, pointed-arch windows with tracery, slender conical and crenellated turrets, and ornate pinnacles. The front elevation is richly carved with high-relief ornamentation and a large circular family coat-of-arms medallion above the entrance; wooden arched windows and a heavy carved wooden entrance door sit on shallow stone steps. The palace is set back amid mature trees and an English-style park.

Its story

The story of Sturdza Palace.

The estate at Miclăușeni began in 1410, when Voivode Alexander the Good granted a fief near the Siret plains to the boyar Miclăuș, a member of the Prince's Council. In 1591 the nobleman's descendants sold it to the treasurer Simon Stroici, who built a mansion on the property and fortified the village in 1598; in 1752 Ioan Sturdza rebuilt the boyar mansion with a semi-basement and cross-shaped ground level.

In 1869 George Sturdza married Maria, daughter of the writer Ion Ghica, and moved the family into the manor. Eager to remake it, he sold off several forests from the estate and took a loan of 100,000 lei to build a palace mimicking the feudal castles of the West. The Neo-Gothic result, Gothic turrets, an entrance tower with a bridge over the moat, medieval armour and Latin dictons inscribed on the walls, incorporates part of the old 18th-century manor in its eastern wing.

The exterior carries high-relief blazonry drawn from the Sturdza coat of arms, a lion with a sword and an olive branch, made in 1898 in Art Nouveau style by the architect Iulius Reinecke, assisted by Maria Sturdza. Inside were staircases of Dalmatian marble, carved rosewood furniture and parquet inlaid with sycamore, mahogany, oak and ebony by Austrian craftsmen. Now part of the Miclăușeni historic monastic complex, the palace has been undergoing restoration since the early 2000s.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1904.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Sturdza Palace, including 4 interiors: central dalmatian marble staircase, manège (riding) hall, carved-wood salon and inlaid parquet floors and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach, main façade and driveEntrance tower and bridge over the moatMain entrance, stairs and carved doorCentral Dalmatian marble staircaseManège (riding) hallCarved-wood salon and inlaid parquet floorsLibrary / rare books roomMiclăușeni park, English garden

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Whose castle

Clans who held Sturdza Palace.

The families that held Sturdza Palace for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Sturdza

    Held by the Sturdza family: Ioan Sturdza rebuilt the boyar mansion in 1752, and George A. Sturdza raised the Neo-Gothic palace at the end of the 19th century.

  • Stroici

    Bought by the treasurer Simon Stroici (1550–1623) in 1591; he built a mansion and fortified Miclăușeni in 1598.

Questions about Sturdza Palace

What is the history of Sturdza Palace?

Sturdza Palace was built between 1880 and 1904 as a late Neo-Gothic residence modelled on the feudal castles of Western Europe. George Sturdza rebuilt the older manor on the site, incorporating part of the 18th-century building into the eastern wing. The estate later became a nunnery, and the palace has undergone restoration since the early 2000s.

What is inside Sturdza Palace?

Sturdza Palace contains a central Dalmatian marble staircase, a Manège riding hall, a carved-wood salon and inlaid parquet floors, and a library or rare-books room. Its interiors included carved rosewood furniture, imported stoves and parquet inlaid with sycamore, mahogany, oak and ebony. Latin sayings were painted or inscribed on the walls and ceilings.

Why was Sturdza Palace built, and what was it used for?

Sturdza Palace was built to replace and transform the older manor into a residence resembling the feudal castles of Western Europe. George Sturdza took a loan of 100,000 lei and sold several estate forests to finance the work. It later served as a home for orphans under Communist rule and became a nunnery in 1990.

Where is Sturdza Palace?

Sturdza Palace is in Miclăușeni, in Iași County. It stands in the village of Miclăușeni, 65 km from the city of Iași. The palace forms part of the Miclăușeni Historic Monastery complex, together with the Church of the Holy Princes and Annunciation and the monastery park.

When was Sturdza Palace built?

Sturdza Palace was built in phases between 1880 and 1904, placing its construction in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It was raised on the site of an older 18th-century manor, part of which survives in the eastern wing. The site's prime year is 1904.

Which family or clan held Sturdza Palace?

Sturdza Palace was held by the Sturdza family. Ioan Sturdza rebuilt the boyar mansion in 1752, and George A. Sturdza raised the Neo-Gothic palace at the end of the 19th century. Before the Sturdzas, treasurer Simon Stroici bought the estate in 1591, built a mansion and fortified Miclăușeni in 1598.

What did Sturdza Palace look like in its prime?

Sturdza Palace is a pale ashlar Neo-Gothic building with an asymmetrical façade, steep gables, pointed-arch tracery windows and slender conical or crenellated turrets. Its exterior has ornate pinnacles, richly carved high-relief decoration and a circular Sturdza family coat-of-arms medallion above the entrance. The palace stands among mature trees in an English-style park.

Is Sturdza Palace still standing or is it a ruin?

Sturdza Palace is still standing and has been restored, although restoration work has not been fully completed. Consolidation and restoration began in 2004 after emergency repairs were established in 2003, and lost decorative elements were reconstructed from photographs. Wooden furniture, doors, windows, wainscoting, interior staircases and original parquet were restored and conserved in 2003–2005.

Who built Sturdza Palace?

Sturdza Palace was commissioned and built by George Sturdza, with Maria Sturdza assisting with the decoration. The construction plans were made by the architects Iulius Reinecke and I. Grigsberg. Reinecke also produced the 1898 Art Nouveau high-relief ornamentation with Maria Sturdza's help.

Who owns Sturdza Palace now?

Sturdza Palace is owned by the Metropolitanate of Moldavia and Bukovina. It was retroceded to the Metropolitanate in 2001 after the orphanage moved to Cozmești. The palace is part of the Miclăușeni Historic Monastery complex and is designated a Historic Monument.

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