Part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleş in Sinaia, Pelişor Castle was built between 1899 and 1902 by order of King Carol I, as the residence for his nephew and heir, the future King Ferdinand and his consort Queen Marie. Actually, in Romanian Pelişor is a diminutive for Peleş, in the sense of "Little Peleş". Here grown children of Ferdinand and Mary: Carol (the future King Carol II), Marioara (the future Queen of Yugoslavia), Elizabeth (future Queen of Greece) and Nicholas.
The castle (which has only 99 rooms, towards the 160 rooms of Peleş), was designed by the Czech architect Karel Liman in the Art Nouveau style. There are several chambers, working cabinets, a chapel, and "the golden room". The furniture and the interior decorations were designed mostly by the Viennese Bernhard Ludwig, but Queen Marie herself, an accomplished artist, made many of the artistic decisions about the design of the palace, and participated in its decoration, including as a painter.
Queen Marie considered Art Nouveau a weapon against sterile historicism, creating a personal style combining Art-Nouveau elements with Byzantine and Celtic elements. The gold bedroom was furnished with pieces made in 1909 on the Arts and Crafts Workshops in Sinaia (school founded by the king), after the queen's plans and drawings. Carved in linden wood, gilded, they have decorations by Celtic and Byzantine inspiration, interpreted in Art Nouveau manner.
About the stamp
The stamp, depicting Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis L.), is part of the first series Flora of Romania - Fauna flowers (I), about which I wrote here.
References
Pelişor - Wikipedia
Sender 2621, 2622: Mircea Ostoia
Sent from Focsani (Vrancea / Romania), on 05.09.2012
Photo: Gh. Voicu
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