Voivodeni Castle

Voivodeni (Hungarian: Vajdaszentivány; German: Johannisdorf) is a village in Mureş County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located 25 km north of Târgu Mureş, and it was documentary attested in 1332 as Sancto Johanne, and in 1366 as Marosszentiványa. Voivodeni belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary Empire. During the 1848 Revolution, there was a battle between the Imperial army and the Szeklers. Since 1918 it belongs to Romania, after the re-unification of Transylvania with Romania. It was occupied by Hungary between 1940-1944, time when the Jewish community was exterminated by the Nazis.

The Zichy-Horváth complex is a wonderful example of Baroque architecture in the 18th century in Transylvania. The old building was owned by Franciscan order, and the Kemény family is the first known owner of the domain. In 1829, the Voivodeni domain was inherited by Samuel Kemény II, which in 1841 donated the archive of manuscripts to the library of Transylvanian Museum founded in 1842. The single-storey high building has an impressive aspect. Supported by eight columns with Corinthian capitels, indoor portico has a classical triangular fronton decorated with the Bethlen Kata family coat of arms and an urn. The Empire-style windows have frames decorated in the classical Baroque manner.

The next owner was the Klebelsberg family. After the Second World War, the domain was nationalized, but recently was returned to its legitimate owner, Melanie Georgina Huberta Josefa Antonia, Countess of Zich and Vasonkeo, who lived in the castle until 1949. After the nationalization, only two buildings of the complex preserved their original form. The main building is currently in good condition, was recently renovated and now operates as a cultural center, library and ethnographic museum. The manor stables were converted into a mill.

Glodeni Castle

Glodeni (former Şarpotoc, Şarpatoc; Hungarian: Marossárpatak, Sárpatak; German: Scharpendorf, Schellenberg, Kothbach; trad. Muddy Creek) is a village in Mureş County, Transylvania, Romania.

Glodeni was attested in 1263. In the Papal documents, it appears on May 13, 1319, when King Carol of Hungary has donated to Simion, son of Michael, Count of Şemlacul Mare and of Caraş, properties in several villages including Glodeni, for his faith to the king. The residents of this village, Romanians and Hungarians, were for centuries serfs of the Teleki and Bornemisza families.

In 1675, the Glodeni domain was acquired by Count Teleki Mihály. In the early 19th century, were built here two lesser-known castles for the Teleki familiey. One of them, the castle on the hill, had only one floor and was destroyed by Count Teleki József during crisis after World War II. The entire area was divided for the villagers to build houses.

The second castle, which still guards the village center, was built in Empire style (1872), surrounded by a vast courtyard and a romantic park on the model of the noblemen courts in the surroundings of Budapest. Much greater than the building on the hill, he looked in shape and arrangement as the Teleki Castle in Dumbrăvioara.

The castle of Glodeni is distinct of other such buildings by its greatness: the main entrance was marked by Corinthian columns, the cellars were vaulted and spacious, the staircase and the carriage parking were built in Baroque style, and the salons were very large, decorated with miniature statues. The interior was not sumptuous decorated, but on the walls were exposed works of famous artists of the 18th century. Also, the family library was invaluable, the counts collecting books from around the world.

The last owner of the domain was Count Teleki Károly. After the WWII, the domain was nationalized, and in 1952, there was established a Care and Support Center for Persons with Disabilities. Today, the castle is still a property of the Romanian state, but its legal status is uncertain. The building was well maintained, the whole area being in a good condition.

Images from here.