Parliament Palace

Hello dear readers! As I promised I will present you today a very important momnument for Romania! Therefore talk about Parliament Palace, or as it is also called as House of People.

Parliament Palace in Bucharest, Romania, measuring 270m by 240m, 86m high and 92m below ground. It has 12 levels and another 8 ground surface. According to the World Records Academy, Parliament House is the largest civilian administrative building for use as a surface in the world, most expensive administrative building in the world and the heaviest building in the world, going three times in Guinness World Records. Parliament House building is situated in the central part of the city (sector 5), the place that today is called Arsenal Hill, surrounded by Spring Street to the west and northwest, UN Avenue north of Liberty Avenue to the east and Route 13 September in the south. It is 10 minutes away from Unirii Square and 20 minutes from North Station (bus 123).

Hill where today is the Palace of Parliament is generally a creation of nature, with an initial height of 18 m, but Liberty Avenue side is raised artificially.

After the earthquake of March 4, 1977, Nicolae Ceausescu sought a site to develop a very large investment. He took the idea of ​​King Charles II in 1935, whose project was provided in the Chamber of Deputies on Arsenal Hill building. This project was designed by the greatest architects of the time. In 1938 he announced the start of demolition in order to open this pin. World War II came and things remained only on paper until 1983, when he started building the Parliament House, the official ceremony took place fundamental stone of the settlement on June 25, 1984.

The building has a usable area of ​​330,000 m², joined in "Guinness World Records" under "Administrative Buildings" at # 2 in the world after the Pentagon, and in terms of volume of 2,550,000 m³ of his people, 3rd in the world after the missile assembly building space from Cape Canaveral in Florida and Quetzalcoatl Pyramid in Mexico. For comparison it may be mentioned that the building exceeds 2% volume of Cheops pyramid in Egypt, and therefore some sources characterizes as one "Pharaoh".

Began during the Communist regime (calling themselves "Golden Age" of Romania and violently removed by the Revolution of 1989), the so-called Project Bucharest was an ambitious project of Ceausescu began in 1978 as a replica of the city Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. A project of systematization existed since the 30s (the time of Charles II) for the Union - Arsenal Hill.

After the earthquake of 1977 Nicolae Ceausescu ordered the "reconstruction" of Bucharest as a new town by itself. In the years 1978-79 there was a national competition for rebuilding city. The contest lasted nearly four years and was won by Anca Petrescu, a young architect only 28 years old, who was named chief architect of this project exceptionally controversial.

The yard itself began in 1980 with the demolition of over 7 km ² in the old city center and the relocation of over 40,000 people in this area. Of missing buildings include Vacaresti Monastery, Brancovenesc Hospital, National Archives, Republic Stadium, etc.. The works were made with forced labor conscripts, and the cost was minimized.

This project of reconstruction of the city, contained a number of buildings such as Parliament House - House Republic, Ministry of Defence, Radio House, Marriott Hotel - Guest House, House of the Romanian Academy, Spring Park and Union Boulevard - Victory of Socialism.

In 1989 the building costs were estimated at U.S. $ 1.75 billion, and in 2006 to 3 billion.

There are three vertical registers, which correspond also the distinct functional areas.

The building has about 1,000 rooms, 440 offices, over 30 halls and rooms, four restaurants, three libraries, two underground parking, a concert hall.

Name halls and salons of Palace of Parliament were elected after 1989, evoking events in the history of the Romanian people and personalities known worldwide.

Most are related to Roman aspiration for unification and the history of parliamentarianism in Romania.

I propose you to continue in the next 2-3 Wednesday with the presentation of the most important rooms of this magnificent monument.

God bless you!

Mogosoaia Palace

Hello dear readers! Even if it's cold and cloudy outside (in Bucharest, Romania),it does not means we can not still enjoy a short reading, but even the contrary. Today I will present you in few lines Mogosoaia Palace, following a suggestion received from a close person.

Mogosoaia Palace is a historical building in town Mogosoaia, Ilfov County, Romania, located about 15 km from the city center. The complex contains the actual building, its courtyard with the watchtower, cuhnia (kitchen), guest house, glaciers and Bibescu family tomb and the church "St. George" located near the courtyard walls. Palace widow named Mogos squire who owned the land on which it was built.

Mogosoaia Palace Brancoveanu was in possession of the family for about 120 years, then going Bibescu family owned.

And to solve a little problem of the history of this palace, it was built in 1702 by Romanian Constantin Brancoveanu Renaissance architectural style (or style Brancoveanu), a combination of Venetian elements with elements Ottoman style previously used and at another palace built by the ruler to Potlogi.

After 1714, when Constantin Brancoveanu was executed in Constantinople with his entire family, all family property was confiscated by the Ottomans and the palace was turned into an inn. Stephan redeemed Cantacuzino He then returned money Constantin Brancoveanu great grandson Prince, and remained in possession of the family until the early nineteenth century.

The palace was devastated by the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774, because big money Brancoveanu Nicholas had held the Russians in conflict. A new palace destruction took place during the revolution of 1821 when the last descendant of Brancoveanu, Gregory Brancoveanu ran in Brasov and the building was occupied by dolphins. After Gregory's death in 1832, the palace remained legacy his adoptive daughter, Zoe Mavrocordat and, through her marriage to Prince George Bibesco passed his family and was renovated between 1860-1880 by Nicholas Bibescu, who built the family tomb palace park and nearby villa Elchingen. The palace was still family run Bibescu which, however, moved to the new villa and the old building remained uninhabited. It until 1911, when Mary-Nicole Darvari palace has sold her cousin George-Valentin Bibescu, who gave as wedding gift to his wife, Martha.

Bibescu Martha was busy renovating the palace since 1912. During World War I, renovation work were other damages suffered brake from German bombing. During the German occupation of the city and southern Romania, Princess Martha Bibescu remained in the capital, dealing the Queen Mary Hospital and lived for a while in the palace.

Returned home after starting in London, accused of collaborating with the Germans, Martha Bibescu renovation work resumed after 1920, spending much of his wealth gathered from books he wrote. The palace was reinaugurat so, in 1927, some interior work continued, however, until 1935.

During the Second World War, the palace was allied diplomats meeting place of being, for a few months rent Swiss legation in Romania. After March 6, 1945, the estate was nationalized by the communist government forced Martha Bibescu obtaining from the authorities declared a historical monument of the palace, which I still owned. Princess left the country permanently but in September 1945, leaving the palace his daughter Valentina and her husband, Demetrius Ghika-Comanesti.

In 1949, the palace was also nationalized, Valentina and Dimitrie Ghika-Comanesti being arrested. Until 1957, the building was destroyed and robbed, art collections being stolen and dismantled. Only in 1957 the palace became the seat of feudal division of the National Art Museum, the restored since 1977.

Currently holds Mogosoaia Palace Art Museum Brancoveneasca and is a major tourist attraction.

The main building of the complex is Mogosoaia Palace built by Constantin Brancoveanu, with princely family apartments on the first floor, which leads directly outside the yard on a scale that gives a front balcony located. The ground floor contains the palace servants' rooms and the basement is a basement with a ceiling of four domes. Facade of the lake is also a particular one inspired a Venetian loggia with three arches.

Cuhnia (kitchen Brancoveanu) is in the palace courtyard, with four ventilation towers. Tower guards the entrance gate to the yard. In it can climb a ladder outside. Both gate tower, and was restored by Martha cuhnia Bibescu between 1922 and 1930.

George Chapel Bibescu houses built after 1880 Bibescu family tombs, including Prince Michael and George Basarab-Brancoveanu, airmen killed during the Second World War.

Mogosoaia greenhouses were built after 1890 by French architects and are still used for growing flowers as art education workshop for children.

Glacier in summer served to store ice brought from Lake Mogosoaia nearby.

The church "St. George" is outside the palace walls, near the gate tower. Founded by Constantin Brancoveanu and finished in 1688, shortly before its founder to become ruler, it houses the tomb of George-Valentin Bibescu and votive painting what is Constantin Brancoveanu and four sons.

I stretched a little bit in this article, but I think it was worth it. Do you agree?

God bless you!