The National Art Museum Bucharest, or the Royal Palace is on Victoria Avenue. King Carol II built it as a residence for the royal family. But here was not an empty space. The king built the new palace on the ruins of an old palace which belonged to his father. Carol the 1st had it from a boyar family. The first building appeared in the first half of the 19th century. It was the sign of Dinicu Golescu’s power. This was a great boyar in the Romanian country. His relatives sold the building to the state in 1833. This house had 25 rooms and was perfect for receptions.

ART MUSEUM IN BUCHAREST HISTORY

Another Lord of the Romanian Country, Alexandru Dimitrie Ghica took Golescu’s house. He decided to make the palace a modern piece of architecture. So, he rebuilt it and also installed the first electric illuminating system. The Art Museum as we know today took the name of Lord’s Court. And that is because it became the palace of the rulers. Alexandru Ioan Cuza lived here during his reign. Which means between 1859 and 1866. In 1881 Romania changed its political regime. Carol the 1st became the king. Thus, the political parties put the palace and his disposal. The king made some changes.

The French architect Paul Gottereau made the project for the new building. It had three edifices, with the Throne Hall, Receptions Halls, Festivities Hall. Unfortunatelly a fire almost destroyed them in 1926. One year late, King Ferdinand, Carol the 1st son, died. The authorities started the works to rebuild the Palace right away. The building opened late in the 1940s, unde the rule of King Carol II. You can see more about all the BUILDINGS ON VICTORIA AVENUE on the link.

The Bucharest National Art Museum is a 7 levels building. It has 2 underground spaces and 5 outside. The facades are in Corinthian style. The central part of he building has got two entrances. One was for the king and the other one for the employees of the Crown. Both entrances lead to Guests’s stairs. You can recongnize here the yellow Sienna marble. In the central building there were also the Small Saloon, the Smoking Room. And of course, the Hall of Throne, opened only on special occasions. On the left of the Palace it was the headquarters of the Guards and on the right side is KRETULESCU CHURCH.

LITTLE KNOWN THINGS

Since Carol II loved movies, the Royal Palace had two cinema halls. It also had its own telephone service and two elevators. It served as Royal House for Carol II and Mihai I, the last king of Romania. He lived here from 1940 to 1947 when communists forced him to leave the country.

In 1948, the Communist Party will seize all Royal Family goods and will transform the Royal Palace into the headquarters of the Ministries Council. Part of the building will serve the Minister of Information. The entire building will be called the Palace of the Republic.

ART MUSEUM IN BUCHAREST AND COMMUNISTS

The Museum of Art in Bucharest was opened in 1950. All paintings taken from the so-called enemies of the socialist people, will be brought here. During the Revolution in 1989, many of masterpieces will be damaged or even destroyed. Even the palace needed to be repaired but everything was done by 2000 when the new Romania National Art Museum in Bucharest was opened. You can see here The European Art Gallery, which means works of famous artists like Rembrandt, Tizian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Rubens, Renoir, Monet, Delacroix, Sisley, Rodin and so on.

Seven halls were given to the Old Romanian Art Gallery where you can see 9500 pieces of national history, like Curtea de Arges frescoes, relics, sculptures in wood and stone, in fact, everything you may find interesting in the cultural life or the Romanian people between the 14th and the 19th centuries.

WHAT TO SEE AT THE ART MUSEUM IN BUCHAREST

The Romanian Modern Art Gallery was opened in 2001 and you will find it at the 2nd floor. 8.4790 paintings and 1817 sculptures are permanently exhibited here and they are signed by famous artists like Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Stefan Luchian, Nicolae Tonitza, Theodor Pallady, Dimitrie Paciurea or the great Constantin Brancusi. Part of the Bucharest City Tour, The Romania National Art Museum in Bucharest can be a highlight in your journey around Revolution Square, before you have a beer in Cismigiu Garden or after you take a walk on Victory Avenue where you must be very careful at the prices in the stores.

Don’t miss the ROMANIAN ATHENAEUM, Kretulescu Church just near The Royal Palace and THEODOR AMAN MUSEUM, or REVOLUTION SQUARE and all its story about the great revolution in 1989 against the communist party that had changed the whole country forever.

SEE BUCHAREST ART MUSEUM MAP…