SINAIA
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Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia. It was built between 1873 and 1914 and inaugurated in 1883.
By form and function, Peleş is a palace, but it is called a castle. Its architectural style is a romantically inspired blend of Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival elements similar to the one of Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.
A Saxon influence can be observed in the interior courtyard facades, which have allegorical hand-painted murals and ornate fachwerk similar to that seen in northern European alpine architecture. Interior decoration is mostly Baroque influenced, with heavy carved woods and exquisite fabrics. The collection of arms and armor has over 4,000 pieces, while its painting collection has almost 2,000 pieces.
Peleş Castle has a 3,200-square-metre (34,000 sq ft) floor plan with over 170 rooms, many of them with dedicated themes from world cultures. There are 30 bathrooms. Perhaps the most acclaimed items are the hand-painted stained glass vitralios, which are mostly Swiss.
A towering statue of King Carol I by Raffaello Romanelli overlooks the main entrance. Many other statues are present on the seven Italian neo-Renaissance terrace gardens, mostly of Carrara marble executed by the Italian sculptor Romanelli.
The gardens also host fountains, urns, stairways, guarding lions, marble paths and other decorative pieces.
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PHOTO GALLERY
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GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
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