Cleopatra Lorintiu « Manole Filitti »

“So clear” an evocation on Manole Filitti
(Documentary of television realized by Cleopatra Lorintiu and published in the book “An additional light” Muzeum edition, 2002, Bucharest)

The documentary on Manole Filitti starts with an evocation made by himself, in 1997, at the moment of one evening dedicated to the history of the one of the most beautiful Palaces of Bucharest, PalaceCantacuzino * called “The house with the lions”, which shelters the Museum “George Enesco”. Here is his intervention kept by the memory of the film:
“This day is very moving for me and I am sure that you will understand , why: I am 86 years old and I try to tell you what's passed 81 years ago.

I was child like my elder sister, and we passed our time in o the “Cantacuzino Palace” with other children of the aristocrats families which had left Bucharest: the fathers were gone  at the war  the mothers had gained the residences of summer. The children sheltered in  the Palace:
Our teachers were  British as times required it!
They imposed a kind of discipline to us which seemed to us irritating at the time…

My godmother, Aunt Catherine the wife of the Nabab( Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, prime minister of Romania ) organized courses in the palace, a kind of private school, with professors who taught us  a lot of things.

These are however 81 years which are run out, I remember so many  details… For example, the kids did not love the old men, they feel embarrassed…

But aunt Catherine was different, she  had a particular charm. Moreover, all these ladies had a very solid culture, a formidable memory, true encyclopaedias! They spoke also several languages.
I learned a lot of things with these ladies, especially to write the correspondence”

It is like that that one began a documentary portrait on Manole Filitti, with his memories of an old world.

Manole Filitti which was a character single, distinguished, and at the same time very cordial, without any ostentations, a kind of humanistic illuminated left another century. He had a way of hiding its physical sufferings which were very strong very besides, little before his  death.

Descending  from a great family, originary from  Epir which  has found the trace for the XVII century, (a monk from this family arrives in Valachia and becomes the archbishop of the country), Manole Filitti was a spirit clear, able to exceed difficulties of this  agitated century,  disturbed by great social convulsions.

His mother belonged to the  Ghica family , her aunt  was the writer Dora d'Istria (Elena Ghica). Manole Filitti lived during Communism in a world which hated the true aristocrats, the old stories of family, particularly of the rich persons and noble families.

With tenacity and discretion he observed a different world by having its invaluable memories, particularly the charm of a world that Communism tried to destroy, to erase, to make disappear so much from the truths.

His  memories , his photographs and  family documents , kept nevertheless pieces of an important life in itself .

We remembered some episodes of his life in company of his wife, the historian Georgeta Penelea Filitti and of the writer Alexandru Paleologu, his friend of long date. (Turning was made after the death of Manole Filitti, in 2001).

Manole Filitti was born at the beginning of the XX century, what is called “the beautiful time” in a noble family.Theese  rich persons ,his family , who lived beautiful houses on Calea Victoriei and Fitted Kisellef, the places more chews of Bucharest.

Manole Filitti, sun of the historian Ioan C.Filitti, made his studies in law and  economy , and after it was invested in the businesses as director of the Unilever company in Romania.

During the last time of its life, Manole Filitti published his  memories and tried to make revive “Jokey Club”, club of aristocrats which had a beautiful tradition in Bucharest between the two world wars. Jokey Club took again its activity in 1991. (The Communists had prohibited it after 1947 ; until the fall of the communism, in December 1989 this club restarted its activity)

It was a gesture of restitution, to keep the memory of the Romanian aristocracy of the time, which loved and raised horses of races.

In another film made in the Cantacuzino Palace in 1997, Manole Filitti told about  his childhood and the memories of family, small histories spent n the company of his girlfriends at the time, the small Romanian princesses, as well as other memories on this very beautiful and very known palace.

The Cantacuzino Palace is situated on one of the oldest boulevards of Bucharest, “Calea Victoriei” and was the residence of Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, one of richest Romanian lawyers XIX century end, called “the Nabab”.

 The palace was built between1898-1900  (  architect I. D. Berindei )in a  baroque style. At a given time it sheltered the government of Romania ,his owner, the richest G. Gr. Cantacuzino (1832-1913) was several times minister and Prime Minister, at the beginning of the XX century. After 1903 the palace was the residence of the Cantacuzino family.

Gh. Grigore Cantacuzino leaves at his death, the palate like heritage to his sonMihai Cantacuzino.This one,  in his turn, (deceased in 1929), leaves the palace to his wife Maruca Cantacuzino (born Rosetti Tescanu). This one will marry ,later , the composer George Enescu .

During the communist time the palace becomes Romanian state-owned property and since 1955 becomes the seat of the Union of the composers and musicologists of Romania. In 1956 was created the “Museum George Enescu”. (Museum George Enesco).