Euxinograd ( , also transliterated as ''Evksinograd'') is a late 19th-century

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

n former royal summer palace and park on the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

coast, north of downtown

Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city ** Varna Province ** Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna ** Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis * Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy * Varna (Šabac), a village in Serbia Asia * Var ...

. The palace is currently a governmental and presidential retreat, hosting cabinet meetings in the summer and offering access for tourists to several villas and hotels. Since 2007, it is also the venue of the

Operosa Operosa is an annual classical music and opera festival. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music. Operosa is active in the Balkan region with the main festival event in Herceg ...

opera festival. Euxinograd is situated at an altitude of 49 m.Euxinograd Altitude and Location
/ref> The park and palace were closed until the summer of 2016 due to extensive renovations.

History

Construction of the palace began soon after the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

presented the site to

Knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...

Alexander Battenberg, the reigning Prince of Bulgaria, on 16 March 1882. At the time the land was occupied by two small monasteries: St. Demetrius and St. Constantine; these were subsequently converted into the first royal residence on the site. This conversion followed plans drawn up by the

Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Viennese classicism * Viennese coffee house, an eating establishment and part of Viennese ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Viktor Rumpelmayer in 1885. Initially, the palace was named ''Sandrovo'', after the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

of Alexander's name—Sandro. Later the knyaz extended the estate to its current area of . However, no further building work took place. The palace as it stands today dates from the reign of Knyaz (later

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

)

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

(). Ferdinand brought the pediment and other materials from the right wing of the

Château de Saint-Cloud The château de Saint-Cloud () was a château in France, built on a site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about west of Paris. The gardens survive, and the estate is now known as the Parc de Saint-Cloud. The château was ...

(a former French royal residence) in France to Bulgaria and integrated them into his new palace. Ferdinand commissioned

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

architect Hermann Mayer and Bulgarian architect Nikola Lazarov to complete the design of the palace. In 1893, on the insistence of Princess

Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise is a French feminine given name, compound given name. In other languages, it may take one of several alternate forms: * Maria Luiza (Bulgarian, Portuguese) * Maria Luisa (Italian, Spanish) * Maria Luise (German) * Mari ...

, Ferdinand's first wife, the palace was renamed ''Euxinograd''—the name derives from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

term for the

, (''Euxeinos Pontos'', "hospitable sea"), and the South Slavic suffix ''–grad'', meaning "town" or, historically, "fortress". Tsar Ferdinand's second wife,

Tsaritsa Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; ; ; ) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife ...

Eleonore Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal dialect">Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. ...

, died in Euxinograd on 12 September 1917. Following the abolition of the monarchy in Bulgaria, the result of a referendum held under the auspices of the

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

in 1946, Euxinograd became a summer residence of the then-

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

authorities. The democratic changes in 1989 made the former royal palace a presidential and governmental residence and it was opened to the public.

Buildings

Euxinograd is often considered to be one of the finest examples of post-

Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

architecture in Bulgaria. The palace was designed in the style of an 18th-century French château, with a high metal-topped

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called French roof or curb roof) is a multi-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper, and often punctured by dormer wi ...

, figured brickwork, balconies and a

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

Following the demolition of the

, Ferdinand acquired the

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

of its right wing for the palace between 1890 and 1891; however, rather than used as an architectural feature for the palace itself, the pediment was incorporated in the foundations of a garden terrace. Euxinograd has three storeys. The first houses the principal reception room; the second, the private apartments of the royal family; and the third, the servants. The furniture is made of

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

and

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

wood. The giant chandelier decorated with a royal crown and gold lilies was a gift from the

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...

. The door handles of the toilets bear the coat of arms of Tsar Ferdinand. The

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

was a gift from

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. The palace's

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

was established in 1891 to meet the requirements of the

Bulgarian royal family The last Bulgarian royal family () is a line of the Koháry branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which ruled Bulgaria from 1887 to 1946. The last tsar, Simeon II, became Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 2001 and remained in office until ...

; its cellars take up two floors. The vineyards continue to produce high-quality white wine (twelve varieties) and brandy (seven varieties). The wines are considered amongst the best in Bulgaria. The Euxinograd cellar has been preserving valuable 125-year-old French wines since the Liberation of Bulgaria. In addition, the Euxinograd complex also includes a former royal stable called ''Shtala'' (Щала; from

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

'' Stall'').

Park

The landscaping and design of Euxinograd park, which is surrounded by vineyards, began in 1890, and was executed over several decades. During which time, more than 50,000 trees were purchased from

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

and fertile soil was brought from the mouth of the Kamchiya River. The park is home to over 310 plant varieties from

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

, reputed to have been selected by Ferdinand himself, and occupies an area of over 550 decares. The design is a combination of both the English and French landscaping styles,

English garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...

and

garden à la française The French formal garden, also called the , is a style of "landscape" garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. Its epitome is generally considered to be the Gardens of Versailles designed during the 17th century ...

, and was mostly designed by

Édouard André Édouard François André (; 17 July 1840 – 25 October 1911) was a French horticulturalist, landscape designer, as well as a leading landscape architect of the late 19th century, famous for designing city parks and public spaces in Lithuan ...

. French-made bronze figures and a sculpture of

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

adorn various areas. The tiny Kestrichka Bara River flows through the park, and is spanned by two bridges, one of metal one and one of cement, imitating a fallen tree. The park also features a small lake full of lilies. Contrary to the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Bulgaria, Evksinograd beach is fenced to segregate government officials and ordinary citizens.

Gallery

File:Euxinograd Palace - view 1.jpg, View of the palace File:Euxinograd - wine cellar entrance.jpg, The wine cellar File:Euxinograd - park.jpg, The park File:Euxinograd Palace - section.jpg, A section of the building File:Euxinograd - wine bar.jpg, The wine bar File:Euxinograd -panorama.JPG, Panorama view File:BASA-1735K-1-344-6-Euxinograd.jpg, Euxinograd, 1905 File:BASA-1735K-1-344-7-Euxinograd.jpg, Panorama view File:BASA-3K-15-442-8-Euxinograd Palace.jpg, Panorama view

References

Sources

* * * * {{refend

External links

Pictures and History
(in Bulgarian)
Official website

3D Laser scanning of main building
Houses completed in 1891 Palaces in Bulgaria Royal residences in Bulgaria Presidential residences Parks in Bulgaria Buildings and structures in Varna, Bulgaria Bulgarian Black Sea Coast Châteauesque architecture Tourist attractions in Varna, Bulgaria Parks in Varna, Bulgaria