The Mocioni Mansion in Foeni, a commune some 43 km south of Timișoara, is set to become a cultural center after undergoing a restoration project worth more than EUR 2.4 million, the Culture Ministry announced.

The restoration project was implemented by the Timiș County Council in partnership with the Timișoara Intercultural Institute and North Consulting (Iceland), with the support of the Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Culture.

Over the past two years, the mansion has undergone an extensive renovation focused on its heritage elements and further work will be done, the Timiș County Council said. The interior courtyards will be paved, green areas will be set up, and the marble stairs at the entrance and the wooden staircase inside will be refurbished. Accommodation spaces, a professional kitchen, and a café will also be set up.

The local authorities plan to include the mansion in a tourist route of the county's mansions, castles, and other historical monuments.

"It is the first building part of a tourist circuit of the county, of mansions, castles, but also of churches and historical monuments that we intend to create to attract visitors to the county and [e.n. the region of] Banat. Investing in culture, education, art, and all these important monuments for our history is an obligation. We will continue with the buildings in Banloc, Jamu Mare, Parța, and other localities because every day we discover new objectives that we can highlight," Alfred Simonis, president of the Timiș County Council, said.

At the mansion, the public will be able to visit a museum area, a digital library with historical documents about the family that owned the mansion, and an upcoming temporary exhibition by the artist Silviu Oravitzan.

The Mocioni Mansion was built in a Neoclassical style around 1750, according to the plans of architect Mor Kallina.

The Mocioni family, who had Aromanian origins, emigrated to Hungary and settled in Banat. Its members were politicians, philanthropists, and supporters of Romanian culture.

(Photo: cultura.ro)

simona@romania-insider.com