Peles, the crazy dream of Carol I

The construction of the palace lasted 39 years and cost 198 million dollars, paid by the monarch's financial sacrifice

In search of a place to build a summer residence, Carol I (1839-1914), elected Lord of Romania in 1866, arrives in the commune of Podu Neagului, a small mountain village with wild landscapes which receives, a few years later , at the initiative of the sovereign, the name of Sinaia. The king buys 1,000 pogons in the locality and in 1873 begins the project of a family holiday home. Two years have required the builders to stabilize the foundation, and 300 workers have worked to consolidate the land affected by landslides and underground water courses. Since then, Peles Castle has been ticking a premiere, the first construction in Romania, the foundation of which is made of concrete. The foundation stone ceremony took place in a festive setting on August 10/22, 1875. At the castle's foundation, two parchments were deposited in a glass tube, sealed in a lead, together with a collection of coins gold of 20 lei, beaten in a small number, with the face of Prince Carol. The scrolls contained the declaration of intent and the foundation act of Peles Castle, the moment being the beginning of a great architectural dream of the sovereign, Peles Castle.