Historical Study

Examination of the authenticity of the summer residence of Queen Maria of Romania near the city of Balchik

Author’s Team: University Botanical Gardens

The study reveals the authenticity of the former summer residence of Queen Maria of Romania in the town of Balchik. It presents information regarding the buildings, infrastructure facilities, gardens, and the species composition of the vegetation, as well as the personalities connected to the creation of the residence. The necessity of the research is determined by the lack of reliable and specific information up to this point regarding the authenticity of the site.
This development is the essential foundation for carrying out activities related to the conservation, restoration, and adaptation of the cultural monument, within the context of the site’s refunctionalization. The components laid out in the Florence Charter, which determine the architectural composition of a historical garden, have been examined—such as plan and topography, vegetation, structural and decorative features, and water effects. Conclusions have been made based on the criteria for evaluating immovable cultural monuments (ICM). The collected and analyzed information provides the opportunity for the identification of the site as the first step towards the preservation of the ICM.

The architectural and park complex (APC) "The Palace" in Balchik is a group architectural and construction monument of culture and a monument of garden and park art with the category "national significance", declared in 2002 (Order No. RD 09-128 from 2002 by the Ministry of Culture). Despite the status of the site, after reviewing the existing research on the former summer residence of Queen Maria of Romania in the town of Balchik, we found scarce, unclear, and contradictory information regarding the authenticity of the complex, particularly its park part. The lack of reliable information impedes the adequate preservation, display, and sustainable use of the cultural monument. The activities applied in relation to the preservation of a historical park are formulated in the Florence Charter for the preservation of historical gardens and parks (Charte de Florence, 1981), which include maintenance, conservation, and restoration. The Charter explicitly states that these preservation activities must be "scientifically based" and must rely on "undeniable evidence" (ICOMOS-IFLA 1981, accession No. 7471).

The aim of the study is to reveal the authenticity of the complex, specifically its park part. The study aims to serve as a foundation for future developments related to the identification of the cultural monument and the assessment of the degree of preservation of the original substance that forms the structure of the site, as well as its authentic appearance.

The conducted research is the most detailed development to date, providing information on the authenticity of the complex based on reliable sources and analyzed according to the described methodology.

This work is the missing foundation upon which future research on the post-1948 development period should be built. The revelations about authenticity presented in the study, the upcoming studies, and their results will serve as a basis for carrying out preservation and sustainable use activities—conservation, restoration, reconstruction, and adaptation of the architectural and park complex. In this way, a scientifically grounded management concept for the site can be formed, situating it within the Balkan cultural space.