The ruins of the Catargi Mansion

The Catargi mansion in Tupilați was built in 1842, on the site of an older one. The area of ​​10,400 square meters of the manor, which included, in addition to the manor itself, a series of outbuildings (caretaker's quarters, stables, cellars and barns) was surrounded, following the model of the fortifications of the great feudal residences, by a rough stone wall with circular towers of defense at the corners, dating from the medieval era. Local tradition attributes both the towers at the corners of the enclosing stone wall and the secular oak next to the mansion to the reign of Stephen the Great (1457-1504). The mansion has one floor, its facade being divided by a vertical pavilion with a window into two unequal bodies. The mansion has an vault like shaped entrance with pillars and arched openings.

The mansion and the outbuildings were part of a unitary architectural ensemble together with the "St. Voievozi" Church in the same village, which was founded in 1811 by the boyar Ștefan Catargiu (1789-1866), a high value member of the Principality of Moldavia.  Also, the church is a historical monument. 

After the establishment of the communist regime in Romania in 1948, the mansion was expropriated by the state and transformed into the headquarters of an agricultural cooperative. It was used for many years in a row without any repairs or even maintenance. No longer cared for, it began to decay. In a 1978 report, the mansion is shown as dilapidated, with the beams and roof about to collapse.

After the overthrow of the communist regime, the mansion passed into the administration of the Tupilați City Hall, which did not concern itself with its rehabilitation, its legal situation being uncertain. Over time, the degradation of the mansion increased. Unfortunately, part of the roof and east wall with the ceilings collapsed and warning plaques were installed on the building and walls. The resolution of the case dragged on and only in June 2008 did the Prefecture release the decision for the possession of the mansion with its dependencies and 35 hectares of land from the former estate to the heirs of the Strâmbeanu family.