Romania's Famous cities - Bucharest

  

 After writing about Iasi, the former European capital, I thought I should write about Bucharest, is the capital of Romania, isn't it? Well, I will start first with the history of this very populous city, which is also the most important industrial and commercial center in the country.

The first mention of the locality appears in 1459, during the second reign of Vlad Țepeș. In 1862 it became the capital of the United Principalities. Since then, it has undergone continuous changes, becoming the center of the Romanian art, culture and media scene. Its elegant architecture and urban atmosphere earned it the nickname "Little Paris" in the Belle Époque. Although the buildings and neighborhoods in the historic center were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes and even the systematization program of Nicolae Ceausescu, many survived. In the years after 2000, the city experienced an economic and cultural boom. Bucharest is one of the main industrial centers and transport nodes in Eastern Europe.

  

Points of atractions - Tourist objectives

 Museums

 National Museum of Art of Romania 

I know about the National Museum of Art of Romania that it is the most important art museum in the country. It operates under the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs. The museum was established in 1948 and is housed in the Royal Palace in the Capital.

The National Museum of Art in Bucharest has in its patrimony one of the largest collections of paintings in Romania. It was founded in 1948, having an important collection of King Carol I, initially located in Peles Castle in Sinaia as well as in other rooms of the Romanian royal residences. Another part of the exhibits was brought from the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu, from other museums in Bucharest such as Anastase Simu (founded in 1910), the Dr. Ioan and Nicolae Kalinderu Museum (opened in 1909), as well as from private collections. In addition to these exhibits, the museum fund was also attracted from the collection of the first art museum in Bucharest, established in 1836 in the building of a school of St. Sava Monastery on the initiative of the painter Carol Valenstein.

   

The equestrian statue of Carol I

The equestrian statue of King Carol I in Bucharest is located in Revolution Square, between the Royal Palace, which currently houses the National Museum of Art of Romania, and the Palace of the Carol I University Foundation (the headquarters of the Royal Foundations, which houses the Central University Library). The bronze statue weighs 13 tons and has a total height of 13 meters, of which 7 meters is the actual statue and 6 meters is the pedestal.

  

 National Museum of History of Romania

 The National Museum of History of Romania is the most important museum in the Romanian state. It has objects with historical value discovered on the current territory of Romania from prehistoric times to contemporary times.

The museum was founded in 1970, to illustrate the cultural evolutions registered throughout all the historical periods in the geographical space of today's Romania. Its headquarters are the Postal Palace in Calea Victoriei.

 It is the most important museum of history and archeology in Romania, both in size and heritage; He is also one of the most important actors in contemporary Romanian archeology and a leader in preventive archeology (a notion that refers to the archeological excavations associated with investments, in order to avoid the destruction of the historical heritage). The institution has a website, which includes a short history, a description of the organizational structure (including short presentations of specialized staff), pages describing events, exhibitions, etc.

   

"Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum

The National Museum of the Village "Dimitrie Gusti" is the name given by the Decision of the Romanian Government. Initially, the institution named the Village Museum. The museum is a creation of the folklorist and sociologist Dimitrie Gusti. It was inaugurated on May 10, 1936, in the presence of King Carol II of Romania, and for the public, on May 17, 1936, being currently one of the biggest tourist attractions of Bucharest.

The motivation for arranging the museum was the importance of the village in the culture of Romania, a country where, even at the beginning of the twentieth century, long after the Industrial Revolution, most of the population lived in the country. The location plans were executed by the writer, playwright, director and set designer Victor Ion Popa, and the necessary financial funds were made available by the Royal Cultural Foundation.

Throughout history, the museum was damaged in the years of World War II by the presence of refugees from Bessarabia, then in 1997 and 2002 by two fires, but continued to expand its exhibits, the museum's latest wing. being opened in 2016.

  

Historic buildings and areas

The Triumphal Arch is a monument located in the northern part of Bucharest, in sector 1, at the intersection of Kiseleff Road with Constantin Prezan, Alexandru Averescu and Alexandru Constantinescu Boulevards. The monument, designed by Petre Antonescu, was built between 1921-1922, renovated between 1935-1936 and renovated again starting with 2014. It commemorates Romania's victory in the First World War.

The Arc de Triomphe is 27 m high, with a single opening and is in the shape of a parallelepiped. The models were made by plastic artists, and for the sculpture of the Rușchița marble, in addition to the local sculptors, there were also a number of ten sculptors from Italy.

The Arc de Triomphe houses a small museum, which can only be visited on certain special occasions. Visitors can see four exhibitions: the Great War of the Reunification of the Nation (photography and film), the Heraldry of the great boyar families (bronze effigies, photographs), the Arc de Triomphe in images (photographs, models), the Great Union of 1918 (where crowns are also reproduced and royal scepter; photos) and can climb the upper terrace.

  

Free Press House

Casa Scânteii -  Spark house (originally known as Casa Scînteii - the name is written with "î", after the Soviet-inspired orthographic model, adopted in 1953), now called Casa Presei Libere - Free Press House, is a building located in northern Bucharest, at the entrance to the Baneasa neighborhood.

The name of the building (which housed the country's main printing house) comes from the name of the Scînteia (Spark) newspaper, the main written propaganda tool of the Romanian Communist Party.

Between 1956 and 2007, the building held the record for the tallest structure in the city.
The land on which the Free Press House stands today was the right side of the Băneasa Racecourse, a representative construction of old Bucharest (the left side was on the site of the ROMEXPO Complex). Under the communist regime, the racetrack was demolished in two stages (the right side in 1952, the left side in 1960), namely to make room for the new buildings, but also with the hidden purpose of removing one of the places where the anti-communist Bucharest potipendada gathered.

  

Academy of Economic Studies

The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, abbreviated ASE, is a public higher education institution in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1913. It is the most important higher education institution with an economic profile in Romania. The ASE headquarters is located in the Palace of the Commercial Academy, located in the Roman Square.

In 2011, the institution was classified in the category of top universities in Romania, respectively that of "Universities of advanced research and education".

Academia de Studii Economice din București a luat ființă în baza unei legi care a fost promulgată de Carol I prin Decretul Regal nr. 2.978 din 6 aprilie 1913, publicat în Monitorul Oficial al României din 13 aprilie 1913, sub denumirea de „Academia de Înalte Studii Comerciale și Industriale„. Actuala denumire datează din anul 1967.

    

Calea Victoriei 

 Calea Victoriei is one of the oldest arteries of Bucharest. Before the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu, the street was not part of Bucharest, its name being Drumul Brașovului and it consisted only of the piece between the Military Circle and Victoriei Square. The part between the United Nations Square (former Senate Square) and Regina Elisabeta Boulevard was known at that time as Ulița Mare to Sărindar because it led to the Sărindar church, located on what is now the National Military Circle.

The road resulting from the union of Brașov Road with Ulița Mare to Sărindar was opened in 1692, by the ruler of Wallachia, Constantin Brâncoveanu, under the name of Mogoșoaiei Bridge. After October 8, 1878, the Romanian army makes its triumphant entry into the Capital, in Following the victory in the War of Independence, the Mogoșoaiei Bridge receives the name of Calea Victoriei, a name preserved until now.

  

 Zlătari Church

 Zlătari Church is an Orthodox place of worship located on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest. In 1635 Matei Basarab built a wall church replacing a wooden one. It was rebuilt by Mihai Cantacuzino in 1705. Around the church was the Zlătari inn, also located on Calea Victoriei, between Lipscani and Stravopoleos.Zlătari Church is inscribed on the List of Historical Monuments in Bucharest.

Following the damage during the earthquakes of 1802 and 1838, both the church and the inn were rebuilt by the abbot Calistrat Livis according to the plans of the architect Xavier Villacrosse and the church was painted by Gheorghe Tattarescu. The inn was demolished in 1903 to enlarge Calea Victoriei. The church was restored again in 1907-1908, by architects Jean Pompilian and Gr.Cerkez.

In the church, in front of the altar, there is the casket with the relics of St. Martyr Cyprian, more precisely the right hand of the saint, considered by the Orthodox Christians to work miracles.

 

  CEC Palace

The Palace of the House of Deposits, Consignments and Economy (usually known as the CEC Palace, after the name of the institution) is a building in Bucharest, located in Calea Victoriei, opposite the Palace of Posts, built in the same period.

The foundation stone of the CEC Palace was laid on June 8, 1897, in the presence of King Carol I of Romania and Queen Elisabeta.

  Until 1875, the monastery and inn "Saint John the Great" were located in that place. Dating from the 16th century, the settlements were restored by Constantin Brâncoveanu in the years 1702 - 1703 and then, degrading, to be demolished in 1875. The current building was erected after the demolition of the first headquarters of the House of Deposits (built in turn instead of the monastery).

The CEC as an institution was established in 1864 by a law initiated by Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

 

  Palace of the National Military Circle

The National Military Circle Palace is a building in Bucharest that houses the central cultural institution of the Romanian Army, with a cultural-educational, artistic, recreational-entertaining profile, as well as image, representation and protocol.

The works for the construction of the Palace of the National Military Circle began in 1911, although the land where the building was to be built had been ceded by the Ministry of Domains since 1898.

The main designer of the monumental Palace of the National Military Circle was the Romanian architect Dimitrie Maimarolu, in collaboration with Victor Ștefănescu and Ernest Doneaud. Some of the interior and exterior decorations for the new construction of the Military Circle, including the two large eagles placed to be protectors of the panel with the institution's company, were executed by the sculptor Ion Schmidt Faur.

The beneficiary of the work was the Military Circle of the officers from the Bucharest garrison, an organization of the Romanian officers established on December 15, 1876.

 

Romanian Athenaeum

 The Romanian Athenaeum is a concert hall in Bucharest, located on Calea Victoriei, in George Enescu Square (in the northern part of the Revolution Markets). The building, built in a combination of neoclassical style with eclectic style, was built between 1886 and 1888, according to the plans of the French architect Albert Galleron. Currently, it also hosts the headquarters of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic.

The Romanian Athenaeum was built in the Episcopate Garden, a land that belonged to the Văcărești family. Many contemporaries criticized the location… because the chosen place was considered too far from the city center and very difficult to reach, especially in winter. The state did not have enough central land, should this place be chosen "on the outskirts of the city"? In 1886 the construction of the current building began; part of the funds were raised by public subscription, at the urging of a lion for the Athenaeum.

The Romanian Athenaeum has been included in the List of Historical Monuments since 2004.

 

Stavropoleos Church 

Stavropoleos Church is an Orthodox church, built in Brancoveanu style, in the center of Bucharest. The patron saint of the church is St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is the Romanian form of the Greek word Stauropolis, which translates as "City of the Cross".

Stavropoleos Church is included in the List of Historical Monuments in Romania

The church was erected in 1724, during the reign of Nicolae Mavrocordat (ruler of Wallachia, 1719-1730), by Archimandrite Ioanichie Stratonikeas, originally from Epirus. In the courtyard of his inn, built in 1704, Ioanichie built the church and a monastery, supported economically by the income from the inn (a situation frequently encountered at the time). In 1726 the abbot Ioanichie was elected metropolitan of Stavropolis and exarch of Caria. The monastery he built has since been named Stavropoleos, after the old seat. On February 7, 1742, Ioanichie, aged 61, died and was buried in his church.

The Italian Church

The Italian Church is a historical and architectural monument located in Nicolae Bălcescu Blvd. in Bucharest. The place of worship serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Parish of the Most Holy Savior of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest.

The Italian Church was built between 1915-1916 according to the plans of architects Mario Stoppa and Giuseppe Tiraboschi. The Italian community in Bucharest, after the arrival of an Italian priest in the capital was announced, decided to build its own church with the support of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Italy in Bucharest, Baron Carlo Fasciotti.

Patriarchal Cathedral

The Patriarchal Cathedral is a church in Bucharest, located on the Patriarchate Hill, founded by the voivode Constantin Șerban and his wife, Bălașa, between 1654-1658. The church, dedicated to the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, was consecrated during the reign of Mihnea III in 1658, and was soon transformed into a Metropolis. After the First World War, the Metropolitan Church was transformed into a Patriarchate (in 1925).

The church was restored several times, in 1792-1799, 1834-1839, 1850, 1886, 1932-1935, which is why at present the construction no longer retains its original shape, over time bringing various additions. and adjustments. The church houses the relics of St. Demetrius Basarabov (St. Demetrius the New), placed in a silver casket, brought from Bulgaria on July 13, 1774.

The Patriarchal Cathedral of Bucharest is included in the List of historical monuments in Romania.

Patriarchate Palace

The Palace of the Chamber of Deputies (currently the Patriarchate Palace) is a building in Bucharest, located on Mitropoliei Hill. Over time, the building was the headquarters of the legislative institution of the Romanian state, until the end of 1996, when it was passed by the Văcăroiu government (PDSR) free of charge in the administration of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Palace of Justice (Bucharest Court of Appeal)

The Palace of Justice was built between 1890 and 1895 according to the plans of the architects Albert Ballu (the same architect who designed the Palace of Justice in Charleroi, Belgium) and Ion Mincu, who also led the construction works and drew the sketches of the interior decorations, respectively ceilings, floors, railings, stairs, furniture.

The foundation stone of the building was laid by King Carol I of Romania personally, on October 7, 1890. Witnesses of the event report that the ceremony took place according to the typical weather: The king signed the foundation deed on parchment, sealed it with the royal seal, after which the king , who wore a white apron with gold tassels, laid the parchment in the foundation and laid the first brick.

The building of the Palace of Justice has a basement, ground floor, partially mezzanine and first floor, with a variable height of about 20 m above ground level, covers a built area of ​​about 8500 m² and a developed area of ​​about 27700 m², having in plan the shape of an irregular quadrilateral , with general dimensions of 140 x 90 m.

Places for relaxation and fun 

Lipscani Street

Lipscani is a street located in Bucharest that runs on the administrative territory of sectors 3 and 5. The street starts near Anghel Saligny street in sector 5 and ends at Calea Moșilor in sector 3. A large part of the street (from Calea Victoriei to Calea Moșilor) is located in the historic center of Bucharest, Lipscani being an axis of it.

The name of the street comes from the word lipscan, a merchant who sold goods brought from Lipsca (Leipzig) on ​​the Romanian markets. Lipscanilor Street, even if not under this name, has existed since the beginning of the 18th century. Initially a very neat street that connects the shopping center of Bucharest and the Mogoșoaiei Bridge, Ulița Lipsacnilor will acquire a special importance during the time of Constantin Brâncoveanu.

 

The inn with linden

It was built in 1833 by Anastasie Hagi, Gheorghe Polizu and Ștefan Popovici, on Lipscani Street. It was also known as the Inn on the Great Street of the Marchitans. It is the only historic inn in Bucharest that has kept its original shape. At the entrance on Blănari Street you can still see the "seal" of the first owners: "A.P." and "S.P."

Each owner had 14 stores, located at the top of the vaulted cellars. Only the sidewalk and the guard room were common property. Important merchants of that time lived in this inn, including Constantin Anastasiu, who founded the store "La Vulturul de Mare cu Peştele în Ghiare", a building that still exists, being transformed into a bank, close to the Cocor store.

Today, the former inn is a place where various art galleries are organized, and a bar has been opened in the basement. Its richly decorated iron gates offer access both on Lipscani Street and on Blănari. Also, the glass facade of the inn is typical of Wallachia.

  

Little Paris Museum

Although by name it should have been mentioned in the category "museums", unfortunately "Little Paris" remained only with the name.

The Little Paris Museum is housed in a historic building formerly owned by the Dalles family. This museum also plays the role of a photo studio, the idea belonging to the photographer Eugen Ciocan, who wanted to combine his passion for photography with that for art history. This museum is located on Lipscani Street.

  

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park (IOR)

IOR Park currently Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park is located in the central-eastern part of Bucharest, in sector 3, in the perimeter delimited by Camil Ressu, Liviu Rebreanu, Câmpia Libertății, C-tin Brâncuși, Baba Novac and Nicolae Grigorescu streets. It is a place of recreation for the inhabitants of Titan, Dristor.

In the park there is Lake Titan, a lake of natural origin separated by the Liviu Rebreanu bridge in two segments, called Lake Titan 1 and Lake Titan 2. On the lake there are five islands, called "Island of Pensioners", "Island of Arts", "Island of Dogs ”,“ Fishermen’s Island ”and“ Duck Island.

 

Union Square

 Unirii Square is located in sector 3 of Bucharest, at the intersection between I. C. Brătianu Blvd., Unirii Blvd., D. Catemir Blvd., Regina Maria Blvd., C. Coposu Blvd. and Splaiul Unirii.

   

National Library of Romania

The National Library of Romania (BNaR, formerly the Central State Library) is the largest library in Romania, located in Bucharest. Over time, the library has bore different names, depending on the political regime and the powers that have followed each other over the past 100 years of existence.

According to historians and researchers, the National Library of Romania has its origins in the Library of Sfântu Sava College in Bucharest, one of the oldest and most representative libraries in Romania. The library of St. Sava College was put into use in 1838, at that time the library fund was about 1000 volumes. After the Union of 1859, in the same year, the library received the status of national library. The college library is called the National Library and later the Central Library.

The new headquarters of the National Library, from Unirii Boulevard no. 22, from Bucharest, was designed, built but unfinished before 1989 by the architect Eliodor Popa. The building had a turbulent history after the Revolution. It was opened to the public on April 23, 2012.

  

Boteanu Church

Boteanu Church is an Orthodox church in Bucharest, sector 1. At this Church there is a part of the relics of St. John James. The history of the church dates back to 1682, when a master named Mihul built a church dedicated to the "Beheading of St. John the Baptist". The church is better known as "Bradu-Boteanu", because a tall fir tree grew next to the church and because the church was next to a slum called "Boteanului".

During the 1977 earthquake, the nearby "Danube" block collapsed, located next to the beautiful church-monument of "Ienii" or "Enei". During the excavation works, the equipment allegedly demolished, “by mistake”, the church of Ienii located to the left of the “Danube” block, next to the Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture and opposite the Intercontinental Hotel and the National Theater. Since then, the Boteanu Church, taking over its patron saint and soul, has been called "Boteanu - Ienii".

  

Intercontinental Hotel

The Intercontinental Hotel, built in 1967, is a 5-star hotel in Bucharest, located in University Square, sector 1 and also a symbol of the city. It was built during the communist period, being one of the tallest buildings.

The InterContinental Hotel has 283 rooms and suites and is the only one in Bucharest with a conference room and a health center with a swimming pool located over 70 meters high. Imperial Apartment is the only one in Bucharest equipped with sauna and piano.

The first 3 levels include large public spaces, following the central body of the modulated tower for accommodation on 17 levels, the restaurant and pool, as well as the crowning. In the numbering of the levels, the one considered to be unlucky is missing, respectively the number 13 The Madrigal Restaurant of the Intercontinental hotel serves refined Italian dishes.

   

Cărturești Bookstore

Cărturești is a project inaugurated in 2000.

This bookstore is well known to the Bucharest public, being a multifunctional space, where various events are constantly held, such as: book presentations and launches, exhibitions, workshops, debates, conferences, etc.

The largest store is on Lipscani Street (in the center of Bucharest), at number 55, called Cărturești Carousel, being a renovated neoclassical or baroque construction from the 19th century. The interior has several floors, all with white walls and columns in the composite order, which are also completely painted white.

 

  

Renaissance Memorial

 The Renaissance Memorial in its full name The Renaissance Memorial - Eternal Glory to the Heroes and the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 is a monumental ensemble located in Revolution Square (former Palace Square) in Bucharest, erected in memory of the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The author is Alexandru Ghilduș. The memorial complex is 25 meters long and cost 56 billion lei.

 

Dalles Room

 Dalles Hall is an exhibition hall in Bucharest, near the University Square. A lady, Elena, the heiress of a family of Greeks settled for generations in Wallachia, made a will by will to the Romanian Academy, to establish the "John Dalles Foundation", as a place of culture in memory of his last son.

The building of the “Ioan I. Dalles” Foundation, built by Emil Prager, according to the plans of the architect Horia Teodoru, was inaugurated on February 27, 1932 with the fine art exhibitions George Oprescu and Jean Alexandru Steriadi. As shown in the will of Elena Dalles, the Association of the People's University of Bucharest, which was part of the John I. Dalles Foundation, was meant to "form the characters of Romanian citizens by cultivating and educating their souls."

 

Nottara Theater

 Nottara Theater is a theater in Bucharest founded in 1947, with the name Army Theater. The name of the great Romanian actor Constantin Nottara (1859-1935) was later given to him. At the head of the theater was then the actor George Vraca, a prestigious name of the Romanian scene. In 1964, after the death of Vraca, whose last role was Richard III, the playwright Horia Lovinescu was appointed director of the theater.

Starting with the directorates Vraca and Lovinescu, the Nottara Theater defined itself as a repertory theater, with a distinct personality in the Romanian artistic landscape. Due to the value of his team, the Nottara Theater managed to attract a loyal audience. Without denying for a moment its popular character, the theater managed to maintain between the 320 titles in Romanian and universal drama, proposed in over 50 years of existence, a beneficial balance between entertainment and philosophical themes, between liberating laughter and the seriousness of  essential problems.

   

  

Other important buildings:

The building of the Romanian Television, former state television, founded on August 21, 1955.

If you have reached the end of the article, it means that you have realized that Bucharest is not just a crowded city, as we all call it, but a city full of history, a history that we all need to know.

Any uploading of these photos is prohibited without citing the source. You can take a maximum of 500 characters from this article, the condition is to specify and visibly insert the link of the article.