Thematic Route: The Cultural Heritage Route

Name of the Touristic Attraction: Pleșa Castle

Location: in Obârșia de Câmp Village, Mehedinți County, at  65 km away from Drobeta Turnu Severin. Obârşia de Câmp can be reached from DN56A, which goes to Calafat.

Legend / Story / Impressions / Recommendations: It was built between 1875 and 1882, in the south part of Mehedinţi County and belonged to the son of the furrier of the village Obârșia de Câmp, named Gheorghe Pleşa. The castle was built according to a castle on the Loire Valley. According to the story its founder, studying in France and thus becoming a noble boyar, fell in love with a beautiful and rich French woman. To conquer her, he promised that if she came with him to his country, he would build a “great and special” castle that would be covered with gold coins. Although he did not have his origins in any race of rich people, Gheorghe Pleşa, becomes overnight, the owner of an impressive fortune. The legend says that a Turkish man, after gathering the tributes at the Danube, used to sleep over at Gheorghe Pleșa’s place. One time, when he was preparing to go to Ada-Kaleh Island, the furrier saw his sacks full with golden coins, and his mind made up a devilish idea. He pursued the Turk, stabbed him and stole his gold money. This explains how a poor furrier managed to buy hectares of land in Obâșia de Câmp Village and send his son to study in France. At that time, nobody associated the disappearance of the Turk with Pleşa’s wealth, associating its enrichment with his craftsman job. Only when the boyar’s love story came to light and his father died, the world began to challenge the origin of the Pleşa family’s fortune.  The son returns home after finishing the law studies, determined to implement the promise made to his loved one. Thus, he gathers a few builders from Italy to complete the work.

All the pieces of the building were transported by boat to Gruia harbor, and from here were brought to Obârșia de Câmp by a chariot drawn by oxen. The interior decorations, which are still preserved today, were made by famous painters from Venice and Paris. Inside of the castle were built white marble columns, sculpted wooden stairs, a fireplace and Venetian mirrors. All these gave the castle an aristocratic air that had not been seen in the area at that time. The unique element in Romania at that time, which appears in the composition of this castle, is the central heating which functioned with wood and which provided heat in all rooms through massive pipes and radiators. However, the legend says that the pretentious French woman refused to marry the young boyar because the castle had no toilet in any of the 33 rooms and the roof had not been made out of gold coins. Besides, Pleșa’s girlfriend never came to Obârșia de Câmp Village. Thus, Pleșa returned to France where he died. Since he had no heirs, the castle had been left to no one. The locals say that this happened because of the curse of the stolen fortune after the assassination of the Turk. During the Communist regime, in 1948, Pleşa Castle from Obârşia de Câmp houses the SMT headquarters providing agricultural machinery to the inhabitants of the southern region of Mehedinţi County. In 1971, the building is transferred to the public patrimony of the Obârșia de Camp City Hall, from the patrimony of the Ministry of Culture. They try to renovate the building by concessioning it for a period of 25 years to the mayor of Dărvari Commune, who commits to renovate it in order to introduce it into the international tourism circuit. This project fails because of the US investor with whom he agreed to restore the castle and who has refused to send the necessary money. No descendant of the Pleșa boyar’s family claimed the castle, and in 2004, the Mayoralty concessions it for 49 years to a Belgian who also commits to renovate it, but fails to meet his obligations. Today, the building is a historical monument, on the list of classified national patrimonial sites.

Information and Contact:

The Castle is located on the administrative territory of Obârșia de Câmp Commune:

City-Hall: phone: +40372 032 517, e-mail: primarie@obarsiadecamp.ro

Route close to other Thematic Routes:

In the area you can also visit:

• „Saint Nicholas” Church, Obârșia de Câmp
• Springs, which meanwhile have been channeled and arranged by the locals, for fish farming and recreation
• The Izimşa Village, famous for the peasants’ revolt, in 1907
• The schools in Izimşa and Obârşia de Câmp that have museum collections
• The Dedovița paleontological site
• Ponds where fishing can be practiced

GPS Coordinates: lat,long: 44.1732, 22.982124800000065, elevation: 107m