“The theater is the school and entertainment of the people, not just a few wealthy individuals.”
while traveling on the Transfagarasan road towards the Vidraru Dam, at the exit of Capataneni, a village belonging to the Arefu commune, on the right side, you will find the statue of George Stephanescu – a composer, the first Romanian symphonist, and the founder of the Romanian Opera (1921).
The statue is located on the street, in front of the entrance to the Stephanescu estate, and it was created by the sculptor Constantin Popovici, who is also the author of the famous statue at Vidraru – Prometheus. The lines of the statue of George Stephanescu are proof of Constantin Popovici’s skillful work.
Casa Stephanescu is a private property, and access is permitted only with the permission of the owners.
The house was built in 1873, following the style of traditional local architecture, using traditional materials such as mountain stone, hardwood, and burnt brick, making it a historical monument.
The house is structured on two levels and consists of seven rooms: the main salon, George Stephanescu’s study, the Adelina Patti room, the Ion Luca Caragiale room, the Vasile Alecsandri room, the Constantin Nottara room, and the attic.
On the frontispiece of Casa Stephanescu, you can read the quote: ‘The theater is the school and entertainment of the people, not just a few wealthy individuals.’”
