Roznov

Roznov is a town in Neamţ County, Romania. It is located 13 km southeast of Piatra Neamţ on road DN15, and lies on the Piatra Neamţ - Bacău railway. The town is first mentioned in 15th century documents, and was probably founded by German settlers, along with Târgu Neamţ: historians speculate that the original name was Rosenhoff. The main church is the Church of Saint Nicholas, situated in a dendrological park; built between 1884 and 1892 in a Russian style unique to the region, it was founded by the boyar Gheorghe Ruset Roznovanu, whose family had an estate at Roznov for many years. The interior frescoes were completed in 1915 by the artist Costin Petrescu, under the aegis of banker, oil magnate, vineyard owner and art collector Hector Economos, who bought the Roznov estate after the Ruset Roznovanu family died out. Today it is an important historical monument. Also situated in the 3 hectares of park is Roznovanu Castle, now in poor condition.