Metropotam - Places

Places: Arcul de Triumf

Tea — 2007-07-13T09:45:00+00:00

Strolling down Bucharest's Champs-Elysees, Kiseleff street, longer, but not as nice as the authentic, you can see the oasis close to Herastrau park: Arcul de Triumf (Arch of Triumph).

Built after the French model, older and larger, our Arch is itself venerable. Although what can be seen today goes back to 1935-36, the concept of a monumental gate which celebrates triumphant troops was first thought of in 1878, when, after the Independence War a similar Arch was built, but in those times Romania probably started to get sick of the superficiality and the rush that lasted until today and the Arch rapidly deteriorated.

Older brother (with like a hundred years) in Paris

A couple of decades later, a new war asked for a new celebration for heroes. In 1922 another Arch was built, almost entirely out of wood. Parades from the First World War walked under it. The purpose wasn't only to celebrate the troops, but also the Royal family - although Ferdinand was king since 1914, his crowning took place in 1922 (video here).

Another decade later, a newly designed Bucharest was in need of a better and more stable monument, so that the Arch was rebuilt, this time out of stone (1935-36), under the architect Petre Antonescu. On the front, it reads:

After centuries of sufferings and hard battle for the preservation of national soul, after defending with sacrifices the human civilization, justice was acquired for the Romanian people by the sword of King Ferdinand, with the help of the entire nation and Queen Maria's thought.

photo source

The two bronze medallions with Ferdinand and Maria's faces were destroyed in communist times and remade after '89.

The facades were decorated by sculptors Jalea, Medrea, Paciurea and Baraschi and portray different stages of the Victory. They are placed above the medallions; on the other side are placed Manhood and Faith, one with a sword, the other with a cross.

virtual tour (360 degrees) here

Today, a huge flag is placed under the arcade, which is also used for photographs. The Arch gets back its dignity on December 1st, Romania's national holiday, when officials cover it with flowers in memoriam, so that the pour arch looks like a funeral stone.

photo source

Intercontinental Hotel

Tea — 2007-07-05T13:37:00+00:00

The Intercontinental, an axis mundi of Bucharest, is one of capital’s representative places. It is the highest building in Piata Universitatii, one of the central points of the city. The hotel used to be a meeting place for statesmen during the communist regime, and is also the main battle point of the 1989 Revolution. Romanians gather around here when their favorite soccer team wins and whenever a politician feels the need to address the public personally, as President Basescu recently did.

Built in 1970, the Intercontinental Hotel can be thought of, metaphorically speaking, as the first skyscraper in Bucharest. Until that year, the highest building was Foisorul de Foc (42 m). Casa Scanteii (now Casa Presei Libere) and Palace of the Parliament were also built in the 70’s. Considering the medium high of the building from the center is of 20 meters, these types of buildings stand out and refresh the contrasts that define our city.

The Intercontinental took the place of another hotel, Carlton, destroyed by the 1940 earthquake. The architects that handled the project were Dinu Hariton, Gheorghe Nadrag, I. Moscu and Romeo Stefan Belea, which chose “combining a massive volume with a strong vertical (…), well positioned as the end of the perspective from Piata Unirii” (Mariana Celac, Octavian Carabela, Marius-Marcu Lapadat - Bucharest - architecture and modernism).

What’s interesting is that even from the beginning, the hotel was a part of the international chain of Intercontinental hotels. Today, the Paunescu brothers own it. The hotel has a new director that wants a complete renovation, “a dramatic increase in standards”, an investment of 15 million dollars.

Today the Intercontinental hotel is number 6 is in the chase for the highest building in the capital, 10 meters shorter that the BRD tower. The hotel is 77 meters tall, and this is how the world looks from its 25th floor:

Bran, with or without a stage name

Tea — 2007-07-05T11:28:00+00:00

Tourists that come to see the castle from Bram Stocker’s novel in Bran will find Dracula everywhere (although his castle is somewhere else): on the walls, on the souvenirs, in the taverns. Tourists look for that medieval feel, but they can’t seem to find it any longer. Sadly, the medieval scenery is paved with Balkan commerce and kitsch.

At the gates of Bran fortress, which used to belong to the Romanian Royal Family. Today it is best known for its stage name: Dracula’s home.

Why was the Dracula’s father named Vlad Dracul (in Romanian, the devil)? Because of his evilness? Not at all. According to Neagu Djuvara, the story went down this way: “In the cathedral of the great city of Nürnberg, king Sigmund proclaimed Vlad as prince of Wallachia (southern part of today’s Romania) and names him Knight of the Dragon Order. It was a great honor to be a part of the Order.

When he became a king of Wallachia in 1437, Vlad proudly put out coins with the Order’s emblem: a dragon and a cross. And, because “draco” is Latin for dragon, king Vlad was renamed “Dracul” or “Draculea”. Because the Order’s name is hereditary, his sons Vlad Tepes (Dracula) and Radu cel Frumos (Radu the Beautiful) were also summoned to join it. This is how Vlad Tepes became known as prince Dracula. Strange story, eh?”

The citadel built on the rock in 1212, at the border of Magura and Dealul Cetatii (Castle’s Hill), belonged to the Teutonic knights. It was built by Dietrich, the Order’s tax collector, which also named the rock. We couldn’t find any evidence of this beautiful story. Built originally in wood, it was replaced by the Saxons with a stone citadel, built in 1377 under the rule of king Ludovic. At the end of the 15th century king Vladislav sold it to the people of Brasov together with the surrounding land.

Bran Castle (in Slavic – brana = gate) was first mentioned November 19, 1377 in a letter from the Hungarian king Ludovic I d’Anjou to the people of Brasov. The king absolved them of tribute, set low custom taxes, because the people of Brasov built this castle with their own strength, providing this new area with money, craftsmen and supplies.

The management of Bran Castle was entrusted to a local, who had jurisdictional attributions, and the permanent garrison was composed out of archers and warriors. Between 1419-1424, the citadel is in the possession of Sigmund, who offers it to Mircea cel Batran, to honor their agreement to protect each other against the Turks. Brasov tradesmen got possession of it in the 17th century.

Starting with 1920, for 27 years, the royal family owns the castle. It is transformed from a fortress into a summer residence with all it needed: walking paths, lake, fountains, and a Tea House. In 1938, princess Ileana inherited the castle and the domain from her mother, queen Maria, and reined here until 1948. Despite all this, history stood still in this place, stopping its clock in the grand gothic room on the first floor, just like queen Maria's heart, which was placed in a silver box decorated with 307 jewels and hidden by princess Ileana in a rock next to the wooden church in the castle's courtyard. A stone mausoleum was built at the foot of the castle in order to protect queen Maria’s heart.

Queen Maria in the Guard Room

Bran Castle was – together with Balcic Castle – queen’s favorite residence. She managed to transform an unwelcoming fortress into a comfortable home. In Bran museum, you can see collections of ceramics, furniture, weapons and armors.

Keys, iron, bronze from the 15th and 16th century; Saxon case – 17th century

The imposing fortress still has some original Gothic elements.

Silver votive light from 1697, done by Georg May; Brass cross from a Russian workshop, silver votive light, partially in gold

The room with Gothic art – in the inter war period, Queen Maria called this room “the Yellow Saloon”

During renovation work in between the World Wars, a hidden ladder was found, that lead from the first to the third floor. Lighted from above, this tunnel resembles a catacomb.

The music room

The fortress was built in military purposes, commercial ones and to protect the vital passage between Transylvania and Wallachia.

View from the castle

King Ferdinand’s dormitory – baroque style furniture

Fourth floor was built in the inter war period. Prince Nicolae’s old room was arranged in 1997 into “the Saloon of hunter’s trophies”, and in 2006 it had an exposition with the “Nicolae Baciu” donation.

The ceiling girders were painted with ornaments, either vegetal or coat of arms of different cities in 1927’s Transylvania by an Austrian craftsman.

King Ferdinand’s old office became “Toys of Princess Ileana’s children Saloon”. In 2006, the castle was retro ceded to Princess Ileana’s son, American architect Dominic de Habsburg.

The wall has holes for guns. Four of these (two on the ground floor, two on the first floor) are positions horizontally and closed by a wood-rolling shutter.

In courtyard, you will find a village museum in which you can look at traditions and customs of the Rucar-Bran area.

Geology Museum

Tea — 2007-07-03T12:24:00+00:00

While philosophizing about this tropical weather, 40 degrees Celsius yesterday and a typhoon last night, Metropotam reached the conclusion that (we’re all going to die) our only refuge is in the depths of the Earth, leaving the surface for unfriendly winds and animals, leaving the sun naked, just like in Asimov’s SF novel, living in safety from climate’s moods that just can’t stand us any longer.

Metropotam went today to look for a home, and he figured the Geology Museum is a good place to start. It wasn’t hard to find, he just followed the traces stuck on the wide sidewalk between Kiseleff to Piata Victoriei.

The building is the ex geology institute, founded in 1906, right across from the Romanian Peasant Museum (link). It’s a good place to be, even if you are not the “museum-kind-of-person”. Take a break from all that clubbing and enjoy your ride to the depths of the world. It’s nice and chilly :)

The museum is a little bit too science-oriented, you might think that it targets specialists rather than kids dragged by the Geography teacher.

The rooms, with very diverse exhibits, diagrams, sketches, drawings and explanations, cover all geologic sciences, from mineralogy to petrography on the ground floor, then an impressive collection of stones (brought from Baia Mare, which is famous for its mining areas).

quartz

pyrite

the oldest rocks are almost 2 billion years old, and the ones that bear the oldest traces of life are aprox. 600 million years old

Lucy!

The first floor hosts the paleontology and stratigraphy rooms, which begin with explanations of Metropotam fossils in the shape of petrified rocks, go through sketches that make you regret you skipped the geography high school courses and end with... dinosaurs. Ridiculous, a little frightening and made out of plastic… it’s fantastic.

Follow the colorful traces leading to the basement, made by a baby dinosaur that accidentally stepped into a paint can.

Here you’ll find the fluorescent mineral room, many more than at the Antipa Museum, plus the beautiful colors (we can’t add more since we don’t have a background in the field).

The kids will be particularly fond of all these types of minerals that seemed to be straight out of space, while the older visitors will maybe understand the beginning or this lump of earth that slowly roll around the sun.

The museum has also some educational programs, Earth for the young, Dinosaur Era. It is open everyday from 10 to 18, the entrance ticket is 5.5 lei (2.5 for kids), and if you want a guide (in English or French) that’s 20 lei.

Also see the photo gallery

Antipa Museum

Tea — 2007-07-03T11:56:00+00:00

“Pale corpses in formalin jars, stuffed beings, glass eyes bearing traces of visible seams, all this necropolis of Antipa Museum seems to me like a bundle of dreams in the ordinary core of the Cosmos” - Mircea Cartarescu - Twins, in Nostalgia volume.

At the end of Twins novella (“Gemenii” in Romanian), one of most beautiful romance stories in Romanian literature, the characters walk along the fabulous decor of Antipa Museum. They get there through a secret passage and the museum becomes a strange, magical place, where Andrei and Gina, the main characters, make love or the first time. When they awake, they realize they have exchanged bodies. The museum exhibits come alive. Antipa Museum is the type that inspires such stories, strange feelings, phantasms, even reflexions and lyrical states.

Delighted, Gina stopped in front of the exotic butterflies, which appeared to her in her dreams (since then, I have dreamed of colorful, giant butterflies) and showed me some exhibits with wings larger than a human hand, colored in electric blue or pale yellow. – Mircea Cartarescu

In 1834, by princely decree, Bucharest National Museum is built. It took a while to get to the state we see it today because the museum’s collections moved from Sf. Sava College to buildings bought by School’s Council, in the Academy Palace, in the University of Bucharest building, then in Porumbacu house on Polona street.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the construction of the current building in Piata Victoriei starts, under the lead of Mihail Rocco engineer. The front part is designed by architect Grigore Cerchez. The new building of the museum was opened on May 24, 1908, in the presence of king Carol I, queen Maria and prince Ferdinand. Sixteen halls were open on that date, the other eleven were inaugurated in 1914.

The name and history of the museum is closely tied to Grigore Antipa, the director of the institution for… 51 years, starting with 1893. He structured the museum, built up the collections, proposed to the government to build “a proper building for the Museum of Natural History. On May 23, museum’s 100th anniversary, by Carol II’s decree, the institution received the name of Museum of Natural History “Grigore Antipa”.

In the 40’s, the museum was damaged by earthquakes and WWII bombings, but was renovated and opened by 1949. In 1957, two new wings are added. The famous ’77 earthquake also damaged the building. The museum opened again that November, and the renovations were done in 1996. For details in Romanian, click here.

"We came to our senses staring and giggling at the dioramas of primitive, black people that were stunted and naked around a fire.” - Mircea Cartarescu

Now that we covered the history of the museum, let’s talk a little bit about the present. What can we see at Antipa? The first impression is of a zoo turned to stone. Stuffed animals are placed in a wannabe habitat. You expect them to start moving anytime behind the protective glass.

The main attraction is the Deinotherium gigantissimum skeleton, aged some million years, discovered in a village from Vaslui county. Although the skeleton fell during 1977 earthquake, but the restoration was successful. Just imagine meeting that in the forest.. :)

Two meters above our heads the yellowish ribs just started to be seen, together with the dull spinal column bones and the head so big that it would have fitted both our bodies. Between monster’s thick feet, we watched the screws and canes that kept it standing. The giant with clay feet. - Mircea Cartarescu

Containing an impressive number or exhibits, Antipa Museum takes us through all areas of the world and helps us imagine how the world looked millions of years ago. From mollusks to birds, from snakes to fish, from meteorites to fluorescent rocks, from humans to monkeys, from exact replicas to well-preserved skeletons, all we see in Antipa is diversity.

Although it’s a pleasant visit, the arrangement of the museum is pretty complicated. The exhibits are too close to each other, and the presentations are.. too classic and hard to understand. We enjoyed most the replica of a cave and we think that this type of arrangement is more suitable than putting stuffed animals behind glass windows.

Rooms full of monsters. Demons and pale-fleshed angels, conserved in formalin jars. Is it nausea or death that’s coming?” - Mircea Cartarescu.

More photos in the Galery

Antipa Museum

Address: Sos Kiseleff 1
Telephone no: 021/ 312-88-63; 021/ 312-88-26

Opened:
We-Fri 10:00 - 19:00
Sat, Sun: 10:00 - 20:00

Casin Church

Tea — 2007-07-02T13:31:00+00:00

After talking so much about bars and clubs, we chose to write about a church, Casin.

Casin Church is better known as Casin Monastery or the Church of Casin Monastery. Do not mistake it with the village Manastirea Casin, which is placed in Bacau county, the monastery there was built in 1655.

The Bucharest church is places in a quiet, green area of Domenilor, close to the Triumphal Arch. It is one of the highest churches in Bucharest, meant to be seen from afar, not hidden between apartment houses.

Built in 1937 by architect Ionescu-Berechet, the church combines the “Brancovenesc” architectural style (see the front side columns) with the Byzantine one (mosaic, the floor plan is a Greek cross, the building is tall and spacious).

Source for the plan of the building

Mareshal Ion Antonescu contributed to its construction with a few donations (also to Sf. Constantin si Elena and Elefterie Churches).

We could not get any pictures of the inside, because we arrived during service and we were not allowed. We wouldn’t have much to see anyway, since the building is under restoration (for a long time now), the walls are blank, which gives the church a sad, gray feel.