The history of Foeni, a village in the Banat Plain of western Romania, is closely intertwined with that of the Mocioni family, renowned philanthropists who built a castle there that became the village's defining landmark and the subject of a book by priest Nicolae Strizu, launched on Wednesday evening at the Theresia Bastion in Timisoara.

The result of several years of research, Father Nicolae Strizu's book, 'Castelul Mocioni de Foen', highlights that the castle 'is not a building, not a restored edifice, not even a museum, but a symbol that preserves the spirit of the awakening of Romanian national consciousness', at a time when Banat was under the rule of the Habsburg Crown in Vienna.

The author also sought to correct what he considers a longstanding error in the building's designation, arguing, on the basis of historical documents, that it should be called a castle rather than a manor house.

'Around 1780, Andrei Mocioni received a patent of nobility from Joseph II. Evidence of this can be found in various works and monographs written by Hungarian historians, who highlight this fact in their research. The Mocioni family were mentors to the Romanian people. The 19th century was marked by the presence of this noble family, but also by great Romanian patriots who sought the emancipation of the Romanian people, their cultural advancement and economic development. (...) Alexandru Mocioni's great struggle in the Budapest Parliament is well known. He brought honour to the Romanian people through his attitude and intelligence, but also through the way he raised the issues of rights, freedoms and civil liberties for the peoples who made up the Austro-Hungarian Empire at that time. They were philanthropists, but their greatest act of philanthropy was, above all, the struggle to free the Romanian people from foreign rule. This castle is part of the heritage of the Romanian people,' Father Nicolae Strizu, a former parish priest in Foeni, told AGERPRES.

During the book launch, the author explained that his main motivation was to produce a comprehensive monograph of the village, tracing its history from its earliest records, including its first documented mention in 1289 under the name Foen. He also wanted to correct several inaccuracies circulating publicly about the Mocioni family and the castle bearing their name.

'The building is not a manor house; its correct designation is a castle. All historians refer to it as a castle. Todor Botis, in several passages of his celebrated Monograph of the Mocioni Family, calls it a castle. Likewise, historian Nicolae Corneanu of Caransebes, in his Monograph of the Parish of Caransebes (1940), refers to Mocioni Castle in Foeni. Hungarian historian Borovski Sandor also calls it a castle (1912). More recent historians, such as Theodor Trapcea in the 1950s, also use the term castle. The designation 'manor house' is inappropriate in Banat from a cultural and historical perspective. The Romanian word 'conac' comes from Turkish and means 'the vizier's house' or 'the pasha's house', according to the Romanian Explanatory Dictionary. (...) That is why my wish and my attempt are to draw attention to the fact that it should no longer be called a manor house, since it is a castle,' Father Nicolae Strizu explained.

Zaharia Peres, cultural adviser to the Metropolitanate of Banat and archpriest of Timisoara, highlighted several milestones in the history of this remarkable 'cultural dynasty'. Among its most prominent members was Alexandru Mocioni, born on November 4, 1841, in Pest, who became a defining figure in the family's history through his struggle in the Budapest Parliament for the rights and freedoms of Romanians.

'His influence was not confined to a particular geographical area. Having been elected to the Budapest Parliament three times, in three constituencies, predominantly by Romanian voters, he stands out as a fighter who never hesitated to present Romanian proposals in Parliament. When a group of young petitioners from Cluj wanted to establish a Romanian-language university, it was Alexandru Mocioni who submitted their proposal to Parliament. He was a man who loved culture, learning and the Romanian nation. The press of the time called him the champion of freedom. But the family was also deeply religious. It built the Mocioni family mausoleum in the cemetery of Foeni, contributed 60,000 crowns towards the construction of the cathedral in Sibiu, supported the establishment of ASTRA in Sibiu and founded the first Romanian National Party. The family's influence continued to be felt until December 1, 1918, in all the important documents. This is what it means to put your heart into something, to have faith and to love the nation you represent,' Father Zaharia Peres said.

The event was organised by the Timisoara I Romanian Orthodox Archpriestship and the Foeni Romanian Orthodox Parish.

Mocioni Castle was built in neoclassical style in 1750, according to plans by architect Mor Kallina, and has been designated a historic monument of considerable architectural and symbolic value. The most prominent member of the family to have lived there was Andrei Mocioni de Foen, the great-grandson of Aromanian priest Constantin.

The Mocioni family was a prominent historical family of the 18th and 19th centuries, known for its extensive patronage of Romanian culture and for providing scholarships to Romanian students.

The castle in Foeni fell into ruin after 1990. The Mocioni family has no surviving descendants today.

The building was returned to the community in 2025 after being restored by Timis County Council through a EUR 2.4 million investment supported by the national Ro-Cultura programme. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)