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Heroes Mausolem (Mausoleum of Mateiaş) in Valea Mare Pravăţ, Romania

Mausoleum from Mateiaş is a monument dedicated to the heroes from WW1, being located near Câmpulung Muscel town in Valea Mare – Pravăț commune, Argeş county.

The mausoleum has been built in the period 1928-1935 at the initiative of the local branch „Cultul eroilor“ Society. The building has two wings: one horizontally, the Ossuary where in 31 crypts there are the bones of over 2,300 Romanian soldiers and one vertically shaped like a tower with a gazebo.

The interior was painted initially and illustrated the courage of Romanian army and its collaboration with allies but it has been deteriorated and it has been replaced with Murano type mosaics in 1980-1984. In the same period the Mausoleum has been extended by constructing new parade terraces with imposing access stairs, museum rooms, a basorelief with 16 m long and 3.5 m high. It was also built the Albeşti stone cup sand here an eternal flame burns in memory of the heroes fallen at Mateias.

 

Romania, Sud Muntenia Region,

Type of WWI-heritage

  • War monument

Dimensions

No information available

State of repair/preservation

Consolidation and restauration works have been carried out in the period 1980-1984 due to cracks resulted from the 1977 earthqueque. In the autumn of 2016 repairs have been performed in the exhibition halls of the maousoleum (see http://muzeulcampulung.ro/noutati-evenimente/88-lucrari-de-reparatii-la-mausoleul-eroilor)

 

Historical WWI Context

The monument has been built to commemorate the heroes died in WW1. In the period 25 September/8 October – 10/23 November, Nămăiești army group lead by the general Traian Găiseanu comprising Infantery Divisions 22 and 12 heroically resited to an enemy superior attack much more prepared for the war. As a result of battles in this area, the Central Powers entrance to the Romanian territory has been stopped, but due to fall of Jiu frontline, the soldiers of the two divisions received the order to withdrew – undefeated on 16/29 November 1916 towards Târgoviște. (https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleul_de_la_Mateia%C8%99)

Information on the battles in this area can be found at:  http://www.revista.forter.ro/2009_2_t/05-inv/02.htm,

 http://www.revista.forter.ro/2009_3_t/05-inv/02.htm

A brief history of Romania’s participation in the WW1 can be found at http://www.marelerazboi.ro/ or https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Rom%C3%A2nia_%C3%AEn_Primul_R%C4%83zboi_Mondial

 

State of legal protection

This objective is included on the List of historical monuments, enlisted as historical monuments type A (code AG-IV-m-A-14017), according to the Minstry of Culture Order no 2828/2015

Owner

Câmpulung Municipal Museum

Kind of cultural use of WWI

At the bottom of the monument there is a small museum where visitors can find out more about Romania’s contribution to WW1 (in the first hall) and can enter in the atmosphere of the moment through a diorama (in the second hall).

Opening

November - March: 9.00-17.00

April – October: 9.00-19.00

Entrance Fee

Entrance fee: 5 lei (approx. 1.1 EUR, 1 EUR = 4.5 lei) (children, students, pensioners 3 lei – approx. 0.66 EUR, 1 EUR = 4.5 lei)

Information regarding cities, villages, other touristic attractions (non-WWI) nearby

Public Transport

There are regular buses on route Câmpulung Muscel - Rucar– Brașov which facilitates visitor access  (see http://www.autogari.ro/CampulungMuscel/Plecari)

Museums Private Collections

Location

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