They were raised three centuries ago, the ruins of the Bălăceanu court, by Constantin Bălăceanu, who wanted to set the new capital of Wallachia here.
Constantin Bălăceanu was Şerban Cantacuzino’s son in law and he aspired to the Wallachia throne. Here is where he dreamed to set up the new royal residence, after his throne taking. Construction began in 1684, but was never fully completed, as the initial founder Bălăceanu had dreamed it. After his death, the building went to Zoica, Bălăceanu’s sister, married to landowner Anghelache Amiras. Zoica continued the works on the architectural ensemble and it is known that on the day of her husband’s death the church was finalized because the landowner was burried here.
After landowner Amiraş’ death, Zoica Bălaceanu gave away, in 1817, the property rights on the Tătăraştii de Sus court as a donation to Ştefan Bellu. He had promised to marry her and in the papers with which the deal was sealed the condition to care for the courts was mentioned. Bellu did not keep his word and after he saw himself owner of the estate he refused to marry Zoica. There were years of a long line of trials where the donation made by the Bălăceanu family was contested. The landowner courts unpopulated in 1881 were seriously damaged by the earthquake that year. Part of the walls collapsed and the court ended up in ruins. Historical documents show that at the beginning of the 1900s the church here was still functional. The 1940 and 1977 earthquakes damaged the ensemble even more. A big part of the watch towers and mansion walls fell and the church was ruined too.
The ruins of the Bălăceanu court were called „Cetatea Soarelui” (Fortress of the sun) in the past. The location was built in such a way that it be bathed by sun light, from sunrise to sunset. Today only the ruins are bathed in the sun.
According to some genealogy studies, the Bălăceanu family originates from Balaciu in Teleorman and also from the old Basarabi house. Brother Bălăceanu called „Uşurelul” (the light one) had this son aga Constantin, became count of the Habsburg Empire, son in law of Şerban Cantacuzino (married Maria) and sworn enemy of Constantin Brâncoveanu. He participates in the war against the Turkish, on the Austrians’ side, as he coveted the country’s throne. He is betrayed by a Cossack from Focşani, who fought in the army sent to the Turkish people’s aid by Constantin Brâncoveanu. After his treacherous death, it is said that Brâncoveanu ordered his head to be brought, which he then stuck on a pole, in the middle of the yard, where it stayed for a year. Ion, the son of aga Constantin Bălăceanu, will also perrish under torture, in Vodă Mavrocordat’s time, accused of treason towards the Austrians. For his betrayal, Brother Bălăceanu’s houses will be burned, only St. Dumitru church remained, called on oath, present today in Bucharest in a small perimeter formed by Poştei str., Sf.Dumitru str. And Franceză str., not far from the Stavropoleos church, behind the National History Museum of Romania.
