Prince Nicolae Bibescu’s Family Burial Vault

6.2. Description

Prince Nicolae Bibescu’s Family Burial Vault is placed near Saint George Church, on the Mogoşoaia Palace grounds, founded by Constantin Brâncoveanu in 1688. It keeps the tombs of Nicolae Bibesco and his wife Ney d᾿Elchingen, by her maiden name. Structurally, the burial vault is symmetrical; an open porch made of masonry, stone elements and attached to the burial vault. The main façade of the porch is marked by a pointed arch, supported by two composite capital columns, with acanthus leaves; the arch supports a triangular pediment with profiled cornice. Above the arch the words: "The family of Prince Nicolae Bibescu". The porch is covered by a small ogive vault. The entrance in the burial vault is flanked by other two columns, identical and placed behind other two columns on the main façade supporting a pointed arch, and between these columns, on the side, there are two sculpted stone parapets. The porch is completed, on the rear wall, by a triangular pediment, similar to the one on the façade. Behind this rear pediment there’s a sloped plane made of stone slabs, covering the stairs going into the burial vault. This roof is flanked by two masonry parapets, reaching downward to the terrace covering the burial vault. On the burial vault’s right hand side, on the wall, there’s a stone pile suggesting a cliff, an open white marble book, reads the following:
"Prince George Bibescu born in Bucharest in the 14-th of March 1834 son of George Demetrie Bibescu, Ruler of the Romanian Country chosen by the people for life and of Zoe Mavrocordat a Basarab Brâncoveanu princess Student of S. Cyr School in France…" unfortunately the remaining text is unintelligible due to degradation.
The burial vault is covered by a terrace accessed by two staircases placed on the sides; the terrace holds a grassy area and an area covered in stone slabs and three funerary plaques belonging to:

- "Mihai, a Basarab Brâncoveanu prince, lieutenant aviator who fell aged 22 on the Valley of Leurza on the 10-th of August 1943" and his brother
- George, a Basarab Brâncoveanu prince, second lieutenant and reserve aviator, decorated with the Golden Cross of Aeronautical Virtue, who also fell aged 22 on 19-th of August 1944". "Close and united during their lifetimes / They didn’t part ways even in death / They were faster than eagles / And stronger than lions / The fell like braves"
- We also find "Lady Elisabeth Asquith, a Bibescu princess, born in London in 1898 and died in Bucharest on the 6-th of April 1945. My soul has gained the freedom of the night".
Other tombs belong to Nicolae Bibescu, his wife Ney d᾿Elchingen, his brother George Bibescu and his wife Marie Henriette Valentine, countess of Caraman-Chimay.