The House of King Petar I Karadjordjević

The memorial house of King Petar I Karadjordjević on Topčidersko brdo (the Topčider hill) in Belgrade, known also as the “White villa”, today represents a modern cultural center that treasures a memory of one of the most loved monarchs in Serbian history.

A monumental stone gate with golden inscription “The Museum of King Petar I The Great Liberator”, king’s monogram, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia and the crown made of bronze, indicates that once a monarch lived in the house located in a garden behind the gate.

A stone path leads through a peaceful alley of Topčider tree tops and a garden where the King himself enjoyed relaxing to an elegant memorial house and its unique ambient with contemporary exhibit space. Today the “White villa” is a modern cultural center where, besides the permanent exhibit on life and reign of King Petar I Karadjordjević, numerous cultural manifestations take place.

The original concept of the permanent display that was imagined as a large interactive portrait of the King was realized through integration of modern technology solutions and rich historical material. The focal part is a mosaic composed of several hundred of photos that, featuring adequate information, present prominent people and significant events from that time, then the king himself, his family and contemporaries. Here visitors can also see the film about the coronation of the King Petar I as well as the three-dimensional reconstruction of his crown.

The “Villa Pavlović” also known as the “White Villa” was built in 1896 by a rich merchant Djordje Pavlović on the Topčider Hill surrounded by prolific vineyards and lush greenery. Two odorous magnolias and a ginkgo tree, that are considered to be some of the oldest trees in Belgrade, have survived in the villa’s yard to date. One-storey villa with an attic was built in the Neo-Renaissance style with Baroque elements and it represents a classical example of a villa and a summer-house erected in the periphery of the city.

Court administration rented the villa in 1919 after King Petar I Karadjordjević returned from Greece and long war years, since the severely damaged Old Court was unsuitable for living. Already seriously ill, the aging king known for his liberal ideas spent here last several years of his life in peace and tranquility, surrounded only with his family and closest people from his entourage.

King Petar I Karadjordjević who spent most of his life in exile due to political atmosphere in Serbia and who often led personally battles and uprisings for the liberation of the country, was used to living modestly. He never resigned of such lifestyle hence by the villa’s appearance it was not obvious that a monarch lived there.

The White villa with the Great and the Little Salon in the ground floor where the king spent most time, the Library and the Bed room with iron bed, didn’t stand out with opulence and luxury, but with its beauty.

After the king died in 1921 an idea soon was born to transform the villa into a memorial-house of King Petar I, the monarch loved by his people and known as “Liberator” for his attitude and merits in the Balkan Wars and the World War I (when the majority of territory of South Slavic nations was liberated), in which the king stood side by side both in good and evil with his soldiers and his people.

The villa was purchased in 1924, and due to the fact that the villa’s interior was modest, a vast furnishing of the museum to be was initiated. Authentic furniture, a life-size portrait of the king and paintings all done by the famous Uroš Predić himself were ordered.

Today most of this cultural heritage is long time gone. There are numerous speculations where it could be, since the villa went through an array of misfortunes. According to some sources, Nazis took valuable items during the World War II, while other authors dispute such claims.

After decades of neglect and carelessness, at the beginning of the new millennia the villa was restored and finally it became the memorial house dedicated to a monarch who was known among people by his nickname, to King Petar I Karadjordjević.