If you have one and a half million euros to spare, how about investing in Transylvania's largest Baroque palace? The owner, Éva Teleki, is looking to sell the palace, which was once nationalized by Romania and returned to her in 2011, along with some of the outbuildings.
The Curia, the oldest part of the complex, was rebuilt from scratch in 1702 by Baron István Wesselényi (Prefect of Székesfehérvár County, President of the Diet in 1716) and Countess Kata Bánffy (daughter of György Bánffy I, Governor of Transylvania between 1691 and 1696). The next generation of the landowning family, István Wesselényi and Polixenia Dániel, added the seat of the family stud farm in 1775. In 1771, Miklós Wesselényi, a lieutenant in the Bethlen Hussar Regiment, built a riding stable. The construction of this prestigious palace building is linked to the marriage of Baron Miklós Wesselényi to Ilona Cserei, the daughter of the historian Mihály Cserei, and the establishment of the family's aristocratic estate on the Jibou estate. Construction of the monumental building in Jibou began in 1778.
In 1781, Wesselényi came into conflict with his neighbor from Gârbou, Johann Haller, whom he attacked with over 500 armed men. The act was condemned by the Emperor in Vienna, and Wesselényi ended up in prison in Kufstein. Work on the palace was slowed and even halted until 1796.
The interiors were completed in 1800. Franz Neuhauser and Johann Martin Stock painted landscapes depicting Jibou Castle, hunting scenes of Baron Wessélenyi, and historical scenes. The construction and design of the complex were completed in 1810.
After nationalization, the interior of the castle was completely altered. Decorative elements were removed, furniture, stoves, paintings, and decorative objects were stolen, and Neuhauser's paintings were painted over. The rooms of the castle became classrooms for a general school, then a boarding school, a pioneer house, a museum, and an experimental retreat for young naturalists. The English-style park was converted into a botanical garden, the riding school into a dining hall, and the courtyard into a go-kart track.
Today, the once important castle is forgotten by the world and completely abandoned. If no buyer is found, it will likely remain what it has been for almost 40 years: a lost place.
Translated by Google •
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