Wesselényi Castle Ensemble from Jibou

Jibou, Romania, Romania

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The Wesselényi Castle Ensemble in Jibou, Romania, represents one of Transylvania's grandest Baroque complexes, initiated in 1778 by Baron Miklós Wesselényi and his wife Ilona Cserei on the site of an earlier 1584 residence, blending Baroque and Classicist styles with corner towers, arcaded loggias, and lavish interiors featuring hunting frescoes by Franz Neuhauser. Construction paused during Wesselényi's 1785 imprisonment for attacking a neighbor but resumed post-1791, completing around 1830 with additions like an English park, lily pond, greenhouse, and stables from 1755 housing a famed horse stud. Nationalized after World War II and used as a hospital and school, it now hosts the George Barițiu Museum with botanical gardens, preserving the legacy of the "Danube Boater" count who saved flood victims.