History

Together with her brother Udriște, they received exceptional education, knowing Latin, Slavonic, and possibly Greek. Elina supported the printing of important books at the time, edited and translated by Udriște Năsturel, such as “The Imitation of Christ” and “Slavonic Pentecostar”. 

Through her efforts, Elina contributed to the construction of the Stone House and the church in Herăști. Alongside her husband, Matei Basarab, considered the greatest church builder of the Romanian people, she is still featured in the frescoes of monasteries both in the country (Arnota Monastery, Strehaia or Mamu), and abroad (Xenofont Monastery on Mount Athos).

Elina was born in 1598 and at the age of barely 14, she married the man who would become the ruler of the country, Matei Basarab.

 Nicolae Iorga called her the patroness of Romanian literature, mentioning that Elina was a “bold woman, who took care of the country, in 1633“, during the period when her husband sought support from Constantinople.

 Elina passed away in 1652 and was buried in the royal church of Târgoviște. On her tombstone, which can still be found in the aforementioned church, her husband Matei Basarab had inscribed „they lived together 20 years twice”.

The great scholar of the 17th century, Udriște Năsturel, translator, poet, adviser of ruler Matei Basarab, and chancellor during his reign, and later during the reign of the ruler Constantin Șerban, left a significant mark through his work, being praised by important cultural figures of Romania, both from past centuries and contemporaries.

Năsturel translated and printed books from Latin into Slavonic, such as “The Imitation of Christ,” and from Slavonic into Romanian, the book “The Life of the Saints Varlaam and Ioasaf,” contributing to the introduction of the Romanian language in the church. At the time, his books were read outside of the Romanian lands as well. He also wrote poetry, the first in the history of Romanian literature to be printed.

Records indicate that Năsturel was born in 1596. Like his sister Elina, he received an outstanding education, even mentioning that he learned Latin with a private tutor. He was also fluent in Slavonic and Greek. He owned an impressive library, appreciated by the Metropolitan of Moldavia at the time – Saint Hierarch Varlaam (or Varlaam Moțoc), where he stocked books gathered from his diplomatic trips to Vienna, Transylvania, and Belgrade.

Dan Horia Mazilu describes Năsturel as “the true ideologue of the age of Matei Basarab, the first conscious cultivator of culture in the Romanian Lands” in the book that bears his name.

In his personal life, Năsturel was married twice. His first wife, Maria, passed away only two weeks after giving birth to their son Matei, who was raised by his aunt Elina. Re-married to Despina, he had another son and daughter, Radu Toma and Marica. His children also received a priviledged education, Matei being known for his poetry and Radu Toma for founding a school in Câmpulung.

The year in which Udriște Năsturel passed away is not precisely attested, but his last documentary evidence dates from May 1659. He probably passed away shortly after withdrawing from public life.

The last member of the Năsturel family to inherit the estate in Herăști was Radu Năsturel’s son, Constantin Năsturel Herescu (1798-1874).

Constantin Năsturel Herescu was a Romanian general and philanthropist. He is renowned for his donation to the Romanian Academic Society in 1873, which made it possible to establish the “Năsturel-Herescu” Fund. The Năsturel-Herescu awards were developed as a result by the Romanian Academy. In recognition, Constantin Năsturel-Herescu was elected a donor member of the Romanian Academic Society.

On June 17, 1881, Baron Mihály IV Nicolić de Rudna sold the property to Anastase Stolojan.

By 1900, he had significantly expanded his wealth, owning 3,174 hectares of land. In Herăști “he has a castle built under Mateiu-Basarab, by the Năsturel-Herăscu family. This village was the old property of the Năsturel-Herăscu family, which left all its wealth to the state. There is a large and beautiful garden here. This estate later passed into the possession of the Serbian prince, Miloș; and today it is owned by Mr. Anastase Stolojan.” – Lahovary 1900, p. 703.

Anastase Stolojan, a law graduate from Paris, was a Romanian politician, parliamentarian and minister of justice in the cabinet of Ion Brătianu, interim in the Ministry of the Interior, minister of agriculture, industry, trade and domains. Anastase Stolojan was married to Olga Vrăbiescu and had two daughters – Lia and Olga, and two sons – Radu and Dinu. His daughter Lia was married to Vintilă Brătianu, while Olga married Radu Florescu, while his son Radu married Maria Filipescu, the daughter of Nicolae Filipescu.

When Anastasie Stolojan passed away in 1901, his widow received the estate. From 1917, upon Olga Stolojan’s passing, the property passed to their heirs, who owned it until it was nationalized in 1949 and lost it.

The Udriște Năsturel Manor’s significance in terms of both history and architecture lef the Commission for Historican Monuments to get involved in its restoration at the time. The restoration project was designed by architect Emanoil Costescu and included the reconstruction of the tower built during the Obrenovic era. The project was recommended favorably by referant Toma Socolescu, and on August 5, 1953, it was approved by the State Committee for Architecture and Construction.

Emanoil Costescu studied at the Romanian School in Rome/ Accademia di Romania and was an architect in the Technical Service of the Commission for Historical Monuments. He was involved in the fate of numerous historical monuments, such as: Banffy Castle in Bonțida, Bran Castle, the churches of Sfântul Gheorghe Nou and Stavropoleos in Bucharest, the Antim Monastery in Bucharest, the former Cistercian church and monastery in Cârța, Făgăraș Citadel, Snagov Monastery, the Royal Court in Tîrgoviște, and Voroneț Monastery.

Despite the restoration project developed by Emanoil Costescu in 1953 receiving a favorable review, Toma Socolescu and Eugenia Greceanu took over the plan more than a year later for unknown reasons.

The restoration method used in this project, which involes removing the Milos Obrenovic-added components of the house and restoring it to the way Udriște Năsturel originally intended, came to light for the first time.

The report dated August 30, 1954, was used to prepare a consolidation project for favorable approval. The architecture part was evaluated through the report prepared by G. M. Cantacuzino on September 3, 1954. In this report, he supported the restoration approach, which forgoes Milos Obrenovic’s additions to the house and restores it to Udriște Năsturel’s original design.

The 1954-1955 project was abandoned a decade later, and architect Olga Bâzu took over in 1964. Under her direction, the Udriște Năstuel house restoration project was completed, preserving its original form without the addition of the tower from the Obrenovici era.

The State Committee for Culture and Art created the Udriște Năsturel House’s purpose during this time period and mandated that it serve as a museum showcasting Romanian culture throughout the developed feudalism era.

Architect Olga Bâzu is renowned for her work in Romanian cultural heritage preservation. She resided in France and worked as an architect, first in Evry and then in Val-de-Marne, where she was the assistant head of the service dedicated to architecture and cultural. She received the Chevalier de Arts in et des Lettres in 2002 in honor of her accomplishments.