UNIFICATION SQUARE

BUCHAREST

Unification Square in Bucharest is the center of the Romanian Capital. The OLD CITY is next to it, also the University Square and also the HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE. In time, Unification Square name was June 8 Square, Nation’s Square or March 28 Square or even September 26 Square during Ion Antonescu’s dictatorship in the ‘40s. During the 17th century here lay the largest Romanian boyars’ properties.

UNIFICATION SQUARE HISTORY

In fact, at the end of this century the Lord Constantin Brancoveanu built a palace, with a huge garden and a lake. It is here where nowadays you can see ”UNIRII SQUARE BUCHAREST”. The palace was destroyed by the Turkish army and was to vanish at the end of the 19th century. After that, Brancoveanu’s niece spent a part of her fortune to build a hospital, called Brancoveanu Hospital which became one of the few modern medical units in Bucharest even during the communist age. That didn’t matter for Nicolae Ceausescu who demolished it in 1985 to build the monumental Civic Center, inspired by North Korea city of Pyongyang. Thus, the Socialism Victory Bd. replaced the hospital. One can have a good view of the House of the People from Unification Square. And nearby you can visit one of the most spectacular and old monasteries in Bucharest, ANTIM MONASTERY.

UNIFICATION SQUARE BUCHAREST SHOPPING

Yet, many other buildings in the area were put down by the communists. Here, it’s been a Great Market since 1832, rebuild in 1872 by a French engineer, Alfred Berthon, inspired by the Paris Market House. In 1935, the Unification Square or UNIRII SQUARE changed its aspect when Dambovita River was covered with a concrete board.
Unification Passage became functional in 1987 to relieve the traffic. On the East Side a great storehouse was built in 1976. Unirea Shopping Center, a symbol of communism, is now a good shopping destination, housing Zara, Mc Donnald’s, Bershka, H&M, Leonardo and so on. It is 84.000 square meters. Near Unification Square another gigantic structure is built nowadays, PEOPLE SALVATION CATHDERAL.

VISIT ”UNIRII SQUARE” BUCHAREST AREA

There are more than 20 fountains in Unification Square, the Central one being called Bucur’s fountain, for the legend says it was the shepherd Bucur who founded Bucharest. In fact, Bucur built in the beginning of the 14th century, a small church near a river( Dambovita) where he found food enough for his sheep. Around this small church, people started to build houses and a new village came into being. Don’t miss the largest church in the Romanian capital which is quite near the square, SAINT SPIRIDON CHURCH.
Yet, the oldest document attesting the name Bucharest dates from 1459 and was issued from Vlad the Impaler’s( or Dracula) chancellery. One of the fountains in Unifications Square is named Vlad The Impaler Anniversary Fountain.
SEE MAP…