Room 20 – The Castellan's Chamber

Narration text

The last major stop is the Castellan's Chamber. The castellan, or pârcălab, was the commander of the citadel, appointed by the prince, and at Neamț his role extended far beyond the fortress walls. The town on the Neamț river, which locals also call the Ozana, was for a long time the political centre of the region, and the castellans were its chief administrators, military commanders and judges.

From the name of the river and the citadel, the name Neamț spread to the whole district and later to the county. Even the town of Piatra became Piatra-Neamț after the middle of the nineteenth century. For long periods after Stephen the Great, documents mention the citadel almost only through the names of its castellans.

The reconstruction shows a space for work and daily life, with sober furniture and period objects. After the prison in Room 21, the visit ends. Thank you for climbing all the way up Pleșu Ridge, and do take a look from the walls at the valley the citadel guarded for three centuries.