V.Alecsandri's house in flames TWICE - Bacau

This is such an outrage... the house (photo source) lived in by the Roumanian poet, Vasile Alecsandri was attacked by arsonists not once but twice in 24h. One cannot help but jump to the conclusion that it was done on the 'ok' of the owners. Where was the minister of culture? Where was the mayor. It's simply unbelievable...

One thing should be cleared up at once, however, as the journalists are reporting erroneously once again.... This is NOT the memorial house of the poet. The true memorial house is found near Iasi in Mircesti, built by Alecsandri and can be visited on weekdays. Here, one can find the works of art, books, poetry, furniture, pen and other pieces of collection and nostalgia pertaining to Alecsandri's life and talent. The house in Bacau is NOT the memorial house (though the poet was presumably born there) even if it is national heritage and they should stop calling it so. My initial reaction: How can it be a memorial house if it was bought by an Italian company, Suma, for an estimated 2 billion lei in 2000 and doesn't contain any objects of memorabilia?? The Cultural Centre has the poet's name since he was probably born in the town (though this is not 100% sure), but the once lovely house ceased to be a memorial house from the moment it was sold in 2000, if not long before.

Here's the story of the house and its owners so far and it just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser: Apparently, the house was confiscated by the state under communism and after a long and tedious trial was fraudulently restituted to Florica Urziceanu in the 90's who then equally fraudulently sold it to the Italian company, Infoterra. Dates are unclear.The fact is that it was a suspicious transaction from the very start because the house is part of the national patrimony and normally could not have been sold without the approval of the Bacau Patrimony Office. However, the manager of the Bacau Patrimony Office, Eugen Cendrea, stated that the sale was 'made possible' due to a decision from the Bacau Lawcourts. Thus, Florica Urziceanu who inherited the property from the last owner, General Dragomir Badeu, having fought with Bacau's Board of Education and County Administration who probably had their offices in the villa became the legal proprietor and should not have been allowed to sell it on. But she did. Passive officials, as usual. She must have had plenty of allies. Dna Urziceanu is 90 years old and doesn't even live in Bacau. She is in Bucharest.... and would have needed a great deal of help to carry off such a sale whereby, we are sure, the price given of 2 billion lei must surely be exaggerated... another article tonight quotes that the Italian owner asked for one million euro to sell it back to Bacau in February 2008. A million euros??? That's absurd. It's in Bacau, not Paris!! And just look at what surrounded it. Blocks. Well, he doesn't need to think about selling it back anymore. Conveniently. In May 2010, the house under Suma's ownership was in such an advanced stated of decay that notices were put up warning people to stay away and would have cost a fortune to save.... It comes as no surprise to many that it was burnt to the ground intentionally. 

The house was constructed in the 18th century, part of a group of buildings owned by Vornic Alecsandri and was significant to the social memory of Bacau because of the assumed birth on the poet within its walls. Due to its age and importance, the house was registered in the 'A' class of Historical and Architectural Monuments and one could see proof of this protection on signs amongst the broken window panes. Is it normal that a national monument should look like that, end its days in this way? Is this how Roumania remembers its national poets? Is it how a monument of the listed 'A' class should look. The mayor of Bacau continues to lie, apparently, and the house is not the only building in Bacau he doesn't care about - there is the library near Hotel Decibal, for example, in need of funds, repair and tender loving care.  Please see THIS marvellous blog for photos of the house dating May 2010.

It was reported that squatters took up occupancy once it was left abandoned (this is unclear - was this during the time of Florica or since Suma?). Since the state do nothing to cater for their homeless, these empty and neglected houses often become makeshift hotels for them. The first fire happened night before last and within ten minutes, the roof and exterior walls were destroyed. The second fire occurred yesterday afternoon engulfing everything that remained, including the squatters' belongings. The house was basically left to auto-destroy as there was no permission for demolition. It is a frequent strategy. Arson just helped it on its way. No one will ever be brought to book for such an act any more than for the house on str Visarion for example, also a victim with the same sorry end.

Before the first fire started, witnesses saw a bunch of youths hanging around the house - investigators assume they were the arsonists. This building was a historic monument but was left, like so many others in Roumania, to fall to decay, rack and ruin. The land is worth more than the house. What do Italian investors care about such a house if Roumanians themselves don't give a damn? There are many who really do care about what happens to their cities, towns and villages, but too many who don't. The graffitti on the walls of the Alecsandri house read 'SICK'. That just about sums it up.

Două incendii în 24 de ore la casa memorială Vasile Alecsandri, din cauza oamenilor străzii

              Antena 3 | 2 Ianuarie 2011

               

Foto: Video News

Imobilul, situat chiar în zona centrală a oraşului, era locuit de oamenii străzii, fiind părăsit de peste 30 de ani. În primul foc, seara trecută, flăcările au distrus în numai 10 minute acoperişul locuinţei şi au degradat zidurile exterioare.

Cel de-al doilea incendiu, declanşat în această după-amiază, a ars toate bunurile aflate în casă şi care le aparţineau oamenilor străzii. Nu există răniţi.

Înainte ca flăcările să izbucnească, martorii au văzut mai mulţi tineri în zonă. Anchetatorii bănuiesc că incendiul ar fi putut fi provocat de aceştia.

Casa memorială Vasile Alecsandri este monument istoric, dar aparţine unei persoane particulare care a lăsat-o în paragină.

For info on the sale of the house in Bacau apparently back in 2000 to the Italian, Suma, please see HERE, but there are conflicting reports as to when this sale actually took place.

   

Comments

[Diane]

I don't know. I do not have the slightest clue. What makes people destroy their own history, knowledge of the past? A people who are ashamed of it? A people who want to rebuild and thus lie about it? Or a people who are profoundly sick and live in a bubble? I do not know, cannot think what they have in their minds apart from very little - and concrete in the place of a heart...

[Doina]

Well, they shall destroy what Ceausescu didn't want or didn't have time to. Either way my heart is bleeding for I cannot save any of these buildings. The authorities ignore the protests, the letters, the articles, the TV. They just don't care and samelessly go on distroying everything for money! I wish them to have the same fate of these wonderful houses and end their lives peniless!
In Iasi the same thing happens with Ionel Teodoreanu's house .And its not an ordinary house its a caracter in his novels.
What curs lies upon this people to destroy its own heritage, to dispise and forget its ownhistory?

[Freda]

This just underlines the new law that if a proprietor doesn't take care of a historic monument, the state take it. Well, they didnt take THIS. Why? How come? I dont get it. How come the law didnt come into force?

[Nicole]

People who don't give a hoot about their heritage. Alecsandri is one of the best known poets but the locals don't seem to care or know who he was. Even if the house was sold to an Italian, this person had an obligation to take care of it, or be forced to maintain it in a decent state. The country is going to the maidanezi and the mitocani, not necessarily in this order. A disgrace!

[Paul]

It is so sad when things like that happen. These historic buildings are what could be used to help bring Romania out of the recession.

If I had the money...

It looks as if all that could be done now is to turn the property into a park dedicated to Vasile Alecsandri, which I would do to punish the neglectful owners.