A resonant name from the War of 1877 is that of General Alexandru Angelescu, a career officer with multiple honors and decorations, and one of the great landowners from whom the entire cultural heritage of the Pissiota family from Poienarii Burchii, Prahova County, descends.
Born in 1850, Alexandru Angelescu climbed the ranks of the military hierarchy step by step and received multiple distinctions throughout his career, including the Order of the Star of Romania, Knight grade (1889), the Order of the Star of Romania, Knight grade (1897), the Order of the Star of Romania, Commander grade (1912), the Order of the Crown of Romania, Commander grade (1901), and the Order of the Iron Crown, 2nd class, conferred by His Majesty, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Josef, on September 16, 1896.
After the general’s death, which occurred on September 13, 1923, his coffin with the body was transported and placed in the family vault in Poienarii Burchii, very close to the current manor house, the funerary monument being classified as a historical and architectural monument, made of Carrara marble, the work of Italian artist Paolo Triscornia di Ferdinando (1853–1936).
The manor, which was part of an extensive estate at the time, is relatively small but charming, with a footprint of 87 square meters and built on three levels: ground floor, upper floor, and attic. In addition to the manor, there are several annex buildings, some for living, some for storage, and others dedicated to horse care, the main activity currently taking place within the manor’s grounds.
The courtyard of the manor is arranged with grass and river stones, and a large part of the courtyard is dedicated to a riding arena and other facilities for horse care. The estate is completed by 5.1 hectares of land that is neither landscaped nor exploited.
Nicolae Pissiota bought much of Angelescu’s estate, building on it one of the most beautiful Romanian churches, a unique blend of the Italian Renaissance style with the Classical Byzantine Style, the church being painted inside by Costin Petrescu, the artist behind the frescoes of the Romanian Athenaeum and the Cathedral in Alba Iulia.
The former estate and manor of the Angelescu family is today an opportunity waiting to be brought back to life, as a charming boyar residence, for residential use or as an attraction for development in the tourism or event industry