One of the most important classical Romanian writers, Mihail Sadoveanu, was one time considered to be one of the very best, of almost legendary stature, as his writing were mor ethan just popular. The memorial house can be found on Aleea Sadoveanu no 12 in Iasi and it still is one of the most popular touristic attractions in the city.
The history of the impressive house begins in the middle of the 19th century, when on the very spot was a vineyard, owned by Mihail Kogalniceanu, one of the most important politicians of those times. Despite the fact that he had a large, elegant house in the middle of Iasi, in the very best spot, Kogalniceanu wanted to do something different, to have a house where he could retreat and work or simply rest, and chose this spot, as he wanted to be surrounded by nature. He started building a new house in the middle of the vineyard, close to the gates of the city, a retreat, a villa according to his liking. The architecture used for the building was at the same time modern and traditional, combining in an inteligent fashion Romanian lines and forms with new accessories and decorations. It was Kogalniceanu's idea to build the large tower, which offers a breathtaking landscape all around.
Later, due to financial difficulties, Kogalniceanu had to sell the villa to the Austrian banker Neuschotz, who had the brilliant inspiration of changing the interior decorations - and a part of the architecture - so the result was very much in fashion. From the wooden floors to the doors and windows brought over from Vienna, to the large bathroom, worthy of a Roman patrician, the millionaire had several original and beautiful ideas, that further enriched the charm of the villa. Sadoveanu would move into this new house in 1919, and for a while he even lived together with George Enescu. One of the very first things that Sadoveanu did was to remove the baron's seals, plastered everywhere in the house.
Mihail Sadoveanu would eventually live and work here for most of his life, surrounded by his large family and great number of admirers, and the villa gained an official, prestigious stature, as it was a symbol of Iasi and an expression of the writer's importance. It was in 1947, not long before his death, that Sadoveanu donated this complex to the Agronomy Institute of Iasi, a surprising gesture for many.
Fortunatelly the importance of the house and the influence that Sadoveanu had in Romanian literature made possible the idea of a memorial house. It would be officially opened on November 6th 1980, and although rather late, it became one of the most important museums in Iasi. The collections of the museum are impressive, mostly manuscripts, documents, letters, newspapers and magazines, a rich selection of photographs and distinctions, some personal objects, a large part of Sadoveanu's personal library and several printings of his books.
2008-02-21
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