„Julia Hasdeu” Castle

Esoterism, science, mistery, sorrow, hope… There are lots to be said about this establishment and just as many unanswered questions: why was the town of Câmpina, of all places, selected for this construction? What is the meaning behind it’s unusual design? One would have to start by looking at the circumstances sorrounding it’s concept and execution, to better understand the philosophy behind this unusual place.
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu brought his family for the first time in 1893 to this picturesque town for a holiday at their friend’s house, Dr. C. Istrati. He had lost his doughter, Zulia, in September of 1888 at te tender age of 18, to a cruel illness that had no cure at the time: tuberculosis.
Having fallen in love with the huge park next to his friend’s property, Hasdeu decided to purchase it with the pourpose of erecting on it a memorial to this deceased daughter. Not the first, as he already built a temple at her tomb between 1888-1891 at the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, but a place where he could be closer to his daughter. Just like Victor Hugo, he looked at spiritism as a way to communicate with the departed.
Initially, the Castle was designed as a cathedral, according to earlier plants, which have evolved towards the corrent design, consisting of three stone towers, the central one being the „Temple”.
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu lived here for ten years, from 1897 until his death on Augustth, 1907.
Julia’s Castle is a place of revelation for the visitor willing to expand his knowledge and perception. Behind the appearance, one may find the essence of things, for in this castle “the matter has a peculiar meaning all around” in the words af the famous writer Ion Luca Caragiale.