Bellu Manor House

The Bellu manor in Urlați, Prahova County, preserves a nineteenth-century residence of the family of Baron Alexandru Bellu. The open porch, the carved wooden pillars and the wooden-shingle roof give the building the look of a Romanian boyar house. The estate was donated to the Romanian Academy in 1926, and the manor later opened as a museum.

Inside are period furniture, paintings, rare books and objects of decorative art. The collection brings together Romanian carpets and ceramics, Oriental vessels, Japanese prints and pieces of furniture that belonged to the family. The tables inlaid with mother-of-pearl, chairs and bookcase reflect the tastes of the former owners. The carved stone fragments, such as columns and frames, round out the collection and link the visit to the older architecture of Wallachia.

Source: INP–cIMeC, Ghidul muzeelor; individual author not specified. CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropping and resizing. Adapted photo retains same license.