RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The I.L. Caragiale Museum in Ploiesti

This memorial house is dedicated to the greatest Romanian playwright

The I.L. Caragiale Museum in Ploiesti
The I.L. Caragiale Museum in Ploiesti

, 28.08.2021, 14:00

Close to the center of the city of Ploiesti, in Prahova County, 60 km north of the capital, hidden behind a line of blocks of flats typical of the communist period, lies a white house of the early 20th century, which houses the Caragiale museum, dedicated to the greatest Romanian playwright.




He wrote what are maybe some of the best known plays in Romanian literature, a fresco of Romanian society in late 19th and early 20th century, which passed the test of time, and are relevant to this day. We crossed the threshold of the white house to talk to the museum curator, Monica Bostan, and asked her about the history of the place:


“The museum opened on January 30, 1962, by the effort and care of Professor Nicolae Simache, who opened most of the museums in Prahova County. It was an homage paid by the people of Ploiesti to our great playwright to celebrate the 110th anniversary of his birth. Caragiale was born on January 30, 1852, in Haimanale, a village in Dambovita County, which now bears his name. He moved with his family in the city of Ploiesti when he was 6. All his school years, the most beautiful in our lives, he spent here, in Ploiesti.




We asked Monica Bostan to tell us more about the great writer’s youth:


“In the second grade, there was the memorable visit to Ploiesti paid by then ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and it was at the school where Caragiale was studying. His teacher was Vasil Dragosescu. He evoked the moment in his writing ’50 Years Past’, naming him his spiritual parent, saying that his Romanian language, such as it was, he owes to his teacher. Here in the museum we also find Zaharia Antinestu, his French language teacher, of whom he said that it was the model for the character Zaharia Trahanache from ‘A Lost Letter’. In 1864 the SS. Peter and Paul Gymnasium was set up in the city, and the writer signed up for the 2nd year, and graduated in 1867, the fifth of eight students. We have the transcript from his last year of gymnasium, school year 1866-1867. There, written in red, we have the school situation for pupil Caragiale, who, as I said, graduating fifth of eight pupils, was not a top student, his grades in Romanian classes were not very good, as we would expect, but had very good grades in French, math, and history. He later taught French at a private high school in Bucharest. In the building of the Peter and Paul Gymnasium we now have the Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology, and there we can see a plaque informing visitors that this is where Caragiale studied. After graduating this school, Caragiale took another year of school in Bucharest, and then went on to study the art of declamation at the Bucharest Conservatory of Dramatic Arts with one of his uncles, Costache Caragiali, one of his father’s brothers, who had some of the first theater troupes in our country, which we can actually call the founders of modern Romanian theater. Even the national poet, Mihai Eminescu, was a prompter in Caragiale’s uncles’ theater troupes, and that started their friendship.




Curator Monica Bostan led us on a brief tour of the museum, highlighting some of the exhibits:


“In the second room we reconstituted the universe in the houses that Caragiale had lived in. it is well known that the writer never had a house of his own, he always rented, hence his novella ‘Looking for a Home’, it seems as if he was always in the search for an ideal home. On the wall we have the crystal mirror with a rosewood frame that belonged to the writer, as well as a small round coffee table, as well as other furniture, a table, chairs, a sofa, the carpet on the wall also belonged to the writer, as well as the two original paintings, the china pitcher and the beer mug with a cover, these all belonged to the writer. Here we also have a portrait of poet Eminescu, which is painted on glass, a rare procedure for its time. Even though it is well known that the two had differences at some point, in spite of the fact that they were friends since their school years, upon Eminescu’s death, on 15 June 1889, Caragiale dedicated to him the article ‘Nirvana’, in which he described Eminescu as a fair angel descended from an old icon. Here in the hallway we are met by the photos of Eminescu and Caragiale in their adolescence, another, lesser known photo of Caragiale at the age of 20, when he was studying under his uncles at the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, and a bust of the writer by sculptor Ion Jalea. We also have caricatures, costume sketches, a gallery of portraits with some of the actors that gave life to some of his characters on stage, and a portrait of his daughter, Ecaterina, in maturity, made by painter Rodica Maniu. Above we have the painting of his house in Bucharest, which still exists on Maria Rosetti street, which opposite has a statue of the writer, moved a few years ago from the National Theater. It has a plaque that reminds passers by that this was a home for Caragiale and his family around the year 1900.




At the end of the tour, Monica Bostn told us about the museum schedule:


“Information about the activities at the museum, and lesser known information about the exhibits in our patrimony can be found on our Facebook page, and on the website of the Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology. You are eagerly awaited to get to known the fascinating world of Caragiale, along with his memorable characters.

Photo: Celula de Arta
World of Culture Saturday, 25 January 2025

Book.art.est

The year 2025 begins with the launch of the ‘Book.art.est’ cultural project – an international and multidisciplinary exhibition dedicated...

Book.art.est
A documentary by Ruxandra Gubernat
World of Culture Saturday, 18 January 2025

“Dream. Life / Imaginary Youth”, a documentary by Ruxandra Gubernat

Directed by Ruxandra Gubernat, “Dream. Life / Imaginary Youth”, is the first Romanian observational documentary that aims to present the...

“Dream. Life / Imaginary Youth”, a documentary by Ruxandra Gubernat
La locandina del film
World of Culture Saturday, 11 January 2025

The Moromete Family: Father and Son – the   end of the trilogy inspired by Marin Preda   

Stere Gulea’s The Moromete Family: Father and Son was one of the most anticipated Romanian feature films of 2024. It marks the final episode in a...

The Moromete Family: Father and Son – the   end of the trilogy inspired by Marin Preda   
Credits: mnir.ro
World of Culture Saturday, 04 January 2025

The “EIKON” Exhibition

The National Museum of History of Romania (MNIR) in late November inaugurated the exhibition “EIKON. Conservation and restoration of wood...

The “EIKON” Exhibition
World of Culture Saturday, 28 December 2024

Ceramic restoration

The Suțu Palace, which is home to the Museum of the City of Bucharest, and located in the city centre, has staged an exhibition entitled “The...

Ceramic restoration
World of Culture Saturday, 21 December 2024

The Casa Radio Publishing House at the Gaudeamus Book Fair

Unique on the domestic book market, the Casa Radio Publishing House capitalizes on the largest collection of media content in Romania, whether it’s...

The Casa Radio Publishing House at the Gaudeamus Book Fair
World of Culture Saturday, 14 December 2024

Bianca Boeroiu, an Emmy Award Winner

Bianca Boeroiu, one of the most famous Romanian make-up artists, won the 2023 Emmy Award for Best Contemporary Make-up.   She received the...

Bianca Boeroiu, an Emmy Award Winner
World of Culture Saturday, 07 December 2024

Taste, refinement and socialising in early 20th century Bucharest

Hosted by the Filipescu-Cesianu Museum in Bucharest, the exhibition entitled “Taste, refinement and socialising in early 20th century Bucharest”...

Taste, refinement and socialising in early 20th century Bucharest

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company