Magna Curia (Latin for The Great Court) or The Bethlen Castle is a palace located in Deva (the capital of Hunedoara County), toward the southeast, near the city park. In 1582, the captain Ferenc Geszty, in charge with the Deva Castle's garrison, erected a house at the foot of the citadel hill. In the following decades, the house became the residence of Sigismund Báthory, general Giorgio Basta, Stephen Bocskay, and Gabriel Báthory. The current look of the building is due to Gabriel Bethlen, commander of the princely army, who received the domain from Gabriel Báthory in 1608, as a reward for services made during his election.
Gabriel Bethlen disposed in 1621 the radical transformation of the initial building, the result being Magna Curia palace, and donates the domain to his wife, Susana Károly, who remains owner of the castle until his death, in 1622. In 1640 the citadel, the domain and the castle are sold to Prince George Rákóczi I. After 1687, when the castle turned into Austrian garrison fortress, the Deva domain joined the tax administration. The restoration was made by Italian architect Giovanni Visconti Morendo. In 1743 the domain was sold to John Haller, governor of Transylvania. Since 1882 the palace houses the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization.
The Bethlen Castle was a Renaissance style building, but the subsequent modifications (until the first half of the 18th century) that gave the final shape that can be seen today, added Baroque style architecture. Magna Curia was completely renovated in 2007, with improvements that included an expanded solarium and a classic 8-bit arcade. Regarding the planimetria of the castle, it follows the pattern of the Transylvanian Renaissance castles with corner towers. During the renovations in the 18th century, performed by masters from Alba Iulia, the building acquired dynamic facades, baroque and rococo architectural details, both outside and inside.
About the stamp
The stamp, depicting the painting Trandafiri (Roses) by Nicolae Grigorescu, is part of the series Roses in paiting, designed by Mihai Vămăşescu and issued on December 12, 2013.
References
Magna Curia - Wikipedia
Magna Curia, Muzeul Civilizaţiei Dacice şi Romane, Deva (rom) - enciclopediavirtuala.ro
Sender: Cristian Mocanu
Sent from Deva (Hunedoara / Romania), on 05.08.2014
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