Lost on the railway line that connects Golești to Câmpulung Muscel, a small red brick station hides a history worthy of a novel. Built in 1887, named after a noble estate, erased from communist books and brought back to life only in 2022, this station bore three distinct names over time, each reflecting an era of Romania.

(Staff: Romania / History & Heritage)

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There are places in Romania that do not appear on the big tourist posters, but that carry in them the echo of past times. Such a jewel is located on the railway line that connects Golești to Câmpulung Muscel. It is a small station with red brick walls and a tile roof, built in 1887. Although it looks like a simple provincial building, its walls have witnessed major historical changes, and its name has changed by no less than three times.

First name: Florica Station

At the end of the 19th century, Romania was in full modernization, and the railway network was expanding rapidly. The train station was built during the prime minister’s mandate of Ion C. Brătianu, one of the artisans of modern Romania. Since the Brătianu family had their estate in this area, the train station received a name with a noble resonance: Florica, after the name of the village where the family property was located.

In those days, Florica Station was not only a stopping point, but a true center of activity. The trains brought and carried goods, the aristocracy and the common people, and the red building watched over this world in transition.

Second name: Ștefănești

With the establishment of the communist regime after the Second World War, history was rewritten. The names with noble resonance were erased, and the ties with the Brătianu family became uncomfortable. Thus, the station was rechristened Ștefănești, a neutral name, which reflects a local community, and not a political dynasty.

For decades, the Ștefănești Station functioned like any other provincial station. The red walls remained the same, but the history they sheltered was buried in silence, along with so many other things at that time.

Third name: I.C. Brătianu

After more than seven decades, in 2022, the time for rehabilitation has come. The train station received a third name, this time one that officially recognizes the historical role of the one who ordered its construction: I.C. Brătianu.

Returning to this name is not just a simple table change. It is an act of repairing the historical memory, a recognition of the fact that this building was built during a crucial mandate for the development of Romania.

A living heritage

Today, I.C. Brătianu Station is no longer as busy as it once was. The trains pass less often, and the building, although neat, carries the patina of time on it. Yet in front of it, a railway employee in a red uniform, holding a green signal disc, still oversees the safe movement of trains, just as railway workers did a century ago.

This little train station is a perfect reminder of how important it is to know our past, even if it was once wiped with a sponge. Its red walls have survived regimes, wars and name changes, and today bear witness to a story worth telling.

Conclusion

The train station with three names on the Golești – Câmpulung Muscel route is more than a simple brick building. It is a time capsule that shows us how politics and ideology can rewrite the past. But, as the rehabilitation of the name in 2022 demonstrates, truth and memory always end up recovering their place. A history lesson and a beautiful reason to discover, with the train, the hidden beauties of Muscel.