Luminiş
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The Luminiş Villa, George Enescu Memorial House is located in the Cumpătu District, the only district of Sinaia, Romania located on the right bank of Prahova River. It was owned by the Romanian composer and musician George Enescu (1881–1955). The town of Sinaia and Luminiş Villa held a special signifiance for Enescu, who considered them his refuge. Enescu was both sentimentally and professionally connected to this town, mainly due to Queen Elisabeth's support of his musical career. The villa was built between 1923 and 1926 by architect Radu Dudescu. Crafted in an authentic Romanian style and harmoniously integrated in the ambiance of the Bucegi Mountains, Luminiş Villa would become a place for both inspiration and recreation. The villa is furnished and decorated with elements from both Romanian and Asian culture. The marble bust of Enescu, which is situated at the entrance of the villa, is the work of Ion Iriminescu, a Moldavian sculptor who was fascinated by the personality of the great Maestro.
Enescu lived at the villa from 1926 until 1946. After permanently leaving Romania due to the political events of 1945 and 1946, Enescu signed a document in Paris donating his Luminiş Villa as a cultural house, conceived as a rest and recuperation shelter for Romanian and foreign artists. In 1990, Luminiş Villa underwent renovations, as part of a 5-year restoration and conservation project for cultural buildings put forth by the Ministry of Culture and by the European Culture Centre of Sinaia. On the 5 September 1995, during the "George Enescu" Festival, Luminiş Villa officially became a memorial site. The museum is open daily except on Monday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
