Banu Mărăcine Mansion

The imposing hills overlooking the eastern and northeast of Banie Fortress have been known in the past under the name Plaiul Vulcăneştilor - after the names of Vulcăneşti priests from Pieleşti-Dolj, which had concessions of large vineyards, Plaiul Viilor or Prisaca.

In 1966, the faculty of the Faculty of Horticulture at the University of Craiova named this viticultural masterpiece Banu Maracine. It was considered that the first Romanian who saw distant lands and seas (1328) was the son of the ban Andrei Mărăcine, true man from Oltenia region who led the Jiu and Olt, the Danube and the Carpathians to the Seine. He would have arrived at the court of King Philip de Valois, in whose service he would have been, supporting him in the war he was just fighting with the English. For the bravery of his deeds he was awarded the noble title of Marchiz de Ronsard, hence the name Banu Mărăcine.

The Didactic Center Banu Mărăcine is situated in the viticultural center of the same name, renowned for its famous red, white and aromatic wines, but also by the wonderful Roua Plaiului winer, presented in 1996 at the Geneva International Salon of Inventions, where it was awarded the silver medal, for its finesse and refinement, but also for the authenticity of the technology that it obtains.

In 1975, the Craiova Experimental Didactic Center was established, with the form of organization assimilated to the IAS (farms and sectors), the purpose of which was the practical training of students, the carrying out of the research activity by the teachers and the implementation of the research results in production.
Between 1984-1990, Hruba, one of the largest in the country, was built by scraping the land. Hruba is the place where the wines are matured. Wine assortments are kept in oak barrels. The second basement of the construction follows: the wine cellar. The hall has something magical in it. Here, the bottles are arranged on the shelves in a horizontal position. Every year, after harvesting, a number of bottles are set, which is brought up for aging. Shelves are numbered by category. The oldest varieties date back to 1970. There are 20 thousand bottles in the wine cellar, both wine and distilled peaches, and plums.

Within the Banu Mărăcine Didactic Resort there are Mircea and Remiza Villas, known in the past as Negrescu Villas, former Mayor of Craiova, who built a beautiful castle in the vineyards in honour of his son, Mircea. The building reminds of the famous Brancoven style. Next to the castle built a wine cellar, and above it an imposing - majestic and beautiful - arbor, from which you can admire the entire vineyard amphitheatre Banu Mărăcine, which offers Craiova a special beauty.
Mircea and Remiza Villas have been completely renovated and have 4 single rooms and 3 double rooms, each with its own bathroom, conference room, terrace, wine cellar and kitchen.

For rental information:
Email ramonagiotoiu@yahoo.com
Tel. 0251/411746.

Sources: www.monumenteuitate.org
www.ucv.ro/campus/puncte_de_atractie/vila_mircea/prezentare.php
https://www.facebook.com/pg/MonumentePierduteOltenia/photos/?tab=album&album_id=665373556855520