The Palace is the former summer residence of the Romanian Queen Maria Alexandrina Victoria de Edinburg (1875 – 1938). It is situated approximately 2 km south-west of Balchik in a beautiful locality between the Balchik rocks and the sea. The Palace is a designated archeological and constructional monument of culture and a monument of the gardening and landscape art, declared by Statute No 09-128 of the Ministry of Culture dated 18 April 2002. Just next to the terraces is formed beautiful waterfall, high 25meters. Another smaller waterfall lours from “Allah's garden” through thick wall to three-flow fountaininto deep stone pool. During the Second Balkan War (1913) the Romanian army occupied a part of Dobrudzha and the town of Balchik fell within the borders of Romania. Romanian intellectuals had appraised the beautiful landscape in the region and during the 1920s many prominent Romanian aristocrats and people of art purchased properties here. Queen Maria was brought by her friends to Balchik, and she was fascinated by the landscape and the spirit of the town. She decided to build her own summer residence here, and had a strict requirement for the designers so that the construction of the villa does not harm the natural environment, but rather complements its beauty.
The residence was constructed by the Italian architects Amerigo and Augustino in 1924. It is formed with beautiful threshold terraces along the steep sea shore, through which the water from two springs flows along special stone channels and pours into water mirrors and waterfalls.
The style of the new buildings is in unison with that of the found one, and the old mills were restored. The contrast of the white rocks and the red roofs which is typical for the town was preserved.
Chapels, yards, fountains and buildings in various styles were built – in typical Bulgarian, Byzantine, Roman and Arabic, Mauritanian, Transylvanian, etc. The park along the sea shore was developed by the Swiss gardener Jules Gianni. The strip is 60-70 meters wide and more than 400 meters long. Christian and Muslim symbols intertwine in wells and gardens, and the flowers and the decorative pots for the gardens were bought from various parts of the world. The complex is composed of a few villas and buildings with characteristic emanation. The Blue Arrow villa was built in 1931 on the edge of a cliff, above the sea shore. The following people had lived in the house during various times – Prince Nikolay – the second son of Queen Maria, and Princess Ileana – her youngest daughter. Now a gallery and a wine degustation room are situated.
A statue of St. Martin – a patron of the Roman royal family, can be found next to the administrative building in the complex, on top of a stone column. A beautiful waterfall with 25 meters of height from the fall is found in close proximity to the terraces. Another smaller waterfall comes from the “Garden of Allah” through a thick wall along a three-flow fountain in a deep stone basin.
The style of the new buildings is in unison with that of the found one, and the old mills were restored. The contrast of the white rocks and the red roofs which is typical for the town was preserved.
Chapels, yards, fountains and buildings in various styles were built – in typical Bulgarian, Byzantine, Roman and Arabic, Mauritanian, Transylvanian, etc. The park along the sea shore was developed by the Swiss gardener Jules Gianni. The strip is 60-70 meters wide and more than 400 meters long. Christian and Muslim symbols intertwine in wells and gardens, and the flowers and the decorative pots for the gardens were bought from various parts of the world. The complex is composed of a few villas and buildings with characteristic emanation. The Blue Arrow villa was built in 1931 on the edge of a cliff, above the sea shore. The following people had lived in the house during various times – Prince Nikolay – the second son of Queen Maria, and Princess Ileana – her youngest daughter. Now a gallery and a wine degustation room are situated.
A statue of St. Martin – a patron of the Roman royal family, can be found next to the administrative building in the complex, on top of a stone column. A beautiful waterfall with 25 meters of height from the fall is found in close proximity to the terraces. Another smaller waterfall comes from the “Garden of Allah” through a thick wall along a three-flow fountain in a deep stone basin.
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