Lucrare de Absolvire - Seria I 2013

Lucrare de Absolvire Curs Ghizi de Bucuresti Seria I 2013 Stelian Decu

Lucrare de Absolvire Seria I 2013 - Teodora Radulescu

                                           Piata Unirii

 Un loc  usor accesibil datorita intersectiei liniilor de metrou a numeroase mijloace de transport in comun si a statiei de taxi, este doar un punct de plecare spre Centrul Istoric, spre Dealul Mitropoliei si inspre Palatul Parlamentului (Casa Poporului).

        Din Piata Unirii puteti vizita Catedrala Mitropolitana [1] (str Dealul Mitropoliei, À 7am - 8pm, intrare gratuita) amplasata pe cea mai inalta colina a Bucurestiului, fiind lacasul Patriarhiei Romane, unde oficiaza Prefericitul Patriarh Daniel, conducatorul Bisericii Ortodoxe Romane. Ansamblul arhitectural reuneste Catedrala Patriarhala - 1658, Palatul Mitropolitan cu Paraclisul - 1708, Clopotnita - 1698 si Palatul Patriarhiei – 1907, in care a functionat pana in 1994 Parlamentul Romaniei. Pe locul unde era tipografia Mitropoliei, unde s-a tiparit prima biblie in limba romana in anul 1688 se afla astazi statuia domnitorului Serban Cantacuzino. In biserica, puteti vedea racla cu moastele Sfantului Dimitrie cel Nou, patronul spiritual al Bucurestiului.

Hanul Manuc [2] (À 12pm – ultimul client, luni – dum), a apartinut familiei domnitoare Cantacuzino    si a fost retrocedat de curand urmasilor acesteia. 

  Desi aflat in conditii relativ bune, noii proprietari vor avea nevoie de cativa ani buni pentru a aduce hanul la stralucirea de odinioara. Oricum, merita din plin sa intrati in curtea interioara (cu acces dinstre Biserica Curtea Veche [nr]) acolo unde odinioara negustorii isi adaposteau marfurile aduse Europa si din Orient. De altfel, Hanul Manuc este singurul han din Bucuresti care si-a pastrat arhitectura (de inceput de secol XIX) si functiile originare de cazare, restaurant cu pivnita si spatii pentru evenimente si intalniri.  

   Centrul Comercial Unirea [3] (À 9am - 10pm, luni – samb, dum: 9am - 6pm) este astazi un adevarat shoping center care este concurat de pretentiosul centru comercial Cocor [4], modernizat in 2010. Pentru alimente proaspete si apa imbuteliata, opriti-va la supermarketul din spatele Magazinului Unirea (cu acces din Bd. Corneliu Coposu)

 Ascunsa privirilor, Biserica Domnita Balasa [5], poarta numele celei de-a 6-a fiice a lui Constantin Brancoveanu, care a ctitorit-o in 1744. Versiunea actuala a bisericii dateaza din vremea Regelui Carol I (1885), fiind modificata in stilul epocii – stilul neoromanesc. Elementele insolite ale bisericii sunt statuile din interior, nespecifice bisericilor ortodoxe, dar care marcheaza, in acest caz, mormintele Domnitei Balasa si al Domnitei Zoe Brancoveanu.

Amplasat pe malul Dambovitei, Palatului de Justitie [6], decorat cu alegorii statuare de Carol si Frederick Storck completeaza numarul cladirilor de influenta franceza de sfarsit de secol XIX, concentrate in centrul orasului. La orizont se profileaza o cladire gigantica, inconfundabila Casa Poporului [7] (À vizite ghidate exclusiv, 10 am – 4 pm, luni – dum), acum sediul Parlamentului, cunoscuta de cei mai multi dintre turisti ca fiind a doua cladire civila ca marime din lume. Desi aparent aproape, pentru a ajunge la aceasta mega-structura, trebuie sa mergeti 15 minute-20 minute la pas (din Piata Unirii). Alternativ, puteti lua metroul o statie (Statia Izvor) sau autobuzul 385, ambele insa va lasa pe partea opusa intrarii pentru turisti, care este dinspre Calea 13 Septembrie.

Realizata sub directa coordonare a „marelui arhitect”, dictatorul Nicolae Ceausescu, Casa Poporului a fost realizata pana in dec 1989 in proportie de 80 % prin efortul unei intregi natiuni , a unui popor infometat si saracit. Studiile facute dupa 1990 au aratat ca forma initiala n-a mai putut fi modificata, fiind deficitara din multe puncte de vedere: functionalitate, comoditate, rationalitate economica si necesitate sociala.

In aripa de vest, a fost amenajat din 1994 Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana [8] (À 10 am – 6 pm, mier – dum). Muzeul are o anvergura internationala recunoscuta, expozitiile de calibru organizate aici de cunoscutul critic si manager Mihai Oroveanu, va pot da o imagine a talentului urmasilor cunoscutului sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Pentru un popas binemeritat, urcati cu liftul exterior pana la ultimul nivel, unde puteti savura o cafea admirand privelistea Bucurestiului de la inaltime.

Lucrare de Absolvire - Seria I 2013

	Cristina Dumitru Călinoiu

[itinerariu – Exerciţiu imaginar]

[Hotel Opera – Biserica Kreţulescu - Calea Victoriei – Piaţa Revoluţiei – Memorialul Renaşterii – Biblioteca Centrală Universitară – Ateneul Român – Muzeul Naţional de Artă al României – Grădina Cişmigiu]

Schiţă. Voi ghida un grup de turişti olandezi, cu vârste cuprinse între 50 şi 65 de ani. Sunt cazaţi în Bucureşti, la Hotel Opera, pe strada Ion Brezoianu, în apropierea Parcului Cişmigiu. Grupul a ajuns cu o seară înainte, în jurul orei 20. Aceasta este prima zi în care oaspeţii se familiarizează cu oraşul. Ne întâlnim la ora 10 în faţa hotelului; de acolo, mergem spre Calea Victoriei, trecem pe lângă Biserica Kreţulescu, ajungem în Piaţa Revoluţiei, ne oprim în faţa clădirii Bibliotecii Centrale Universitare şi apoi în faţa Ateneului. Traversăm pe partea cu Muzeul Naţional de Artă, în curtea căruia vom intra, urmând să coborăm spre Grădina Cişmigiu. Prezentarea şi discuţiile se vor purta în limba engleză.   

Goedemorgen!

Good morning and welcome to Bucharest! My name is Cristina and I will be your guide for today. I hope you enjoyed your breakfast and that your accommodation is everything that you wished for. This is your second day in the city that was once named “Little Paris”. For the next three or four hours our itinerary will include a walk through one of the most beautiful and old parks in Bucharest and an introduction to one of the most iconic Bucharest avenues. Let’s begin our discovery!

On our way to Victory Avenue, I suggest we stop for a few minutes and admire Kreţulescu Church. This is an Eastern Orthodox Church, built in the Brâncovenesc style. The church was commissioned in 1720–1722 by the boyar Iordache Kreţulescu and his wife Safta, daughter of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu. Originally, the exterior was painted, but since the restoration work done in 1935–1936 (under the supervision of architect Ștefan Balș), the facade is made of brick. The frescoes on the porch date from the original structure, while the interior frescoes were painted by Gheorghe Tattarescu, a very important 19th century Romanian painter.

In the early days of the Communist regime, Kreţulescu Church was saved from demolition due to efforts of some Romanian architects. More renovations of the church took place after the Bucharest earthquake of 1977 and the Revolution of 1989.

We are now on Victory Avenue or Calea Victoriei, a major avenue in central Bucharest. The road was built in 1692 by Constantin Brâncoveanu. Initially, the road was known as “The Large Street”. At first, it was part of the trade route between Bucharest and Braşov, an important city located in the heart of Transilvania. After that, it was known as “Podul Mogoşoaiei”, and it was the first street in Bucharest to be illuminated with candles during the night, starting July 1814. At first covered with wood, in 1842 the road was paved with cobblestone and later upgraded to asphalt. The road was renamed "Victory Avenue" on October 12, 1878, following the Romanian victory in the Independence War of 1877-1878.

Calea Victoriei was Bucharest's showpiece street in the Interwar years. There are many literary references to this avenue. In 1939, a German photojournalist who was staying in Bucharest for the time noted: “Victory Avenue is the main artery of the city. It has tradition and it is the avenue of the modern and elegant people. This is the resident’s favorite place for long walks. It is the right place for showing off, for greeting acquaintances, for finding out the day’s highlights, for making business deals and especially for meeting new people”. Another mention of Victory Avenue comes from a Bucharest resident who didn’t have a car. He says that “If you go out on the street at noon, between twelve and one o’clock or at night, between seven and eight o’clock, you will be part of an enormous crowd. The sidewalks and even the street are full of people. Through the middle of the street, the automobiles try to advance. The wheels touch the pedestrians, splash them with mud and sometimes even hurt them. But nobody gets upset”. Calea Victoriei was also known for its shops and restaurants.         

As we cross Victory Avenue, we now find ourselves in what was named Palace Square until 1989. It was renamed after this date and today the square is known as the Revolution Square or Piaţa Revolutiei. The square houses the building of the former Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party (from where Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife fled by helicopter in 1989). In 1990, the building became the seat of the Senate and since 2006 it houses the Ministry of Interior. In December 1989 the square witnessed the fall of Ceauşescu's regime.

We can see over there The Memorial of Rebirth or Memorialul Renaşterii a monument that commemorates the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989. It was inaugurated in August 2005. The memorial's name alludes to Romania's rebirth as a nation after the collapse of Communism. The monument, designed by Alexandru Ghilduş, a contemporary object designer and sculptor, caused a lot of controversy mainly due to its abstract design. It became a meeting place and is reffered to as “a potato on a stake” or “an olive on a toothpick”. I, personally, think of the round part from the top as being rather a hazelnut. What do you think?  

As we go forward, on our right side we can see The Central University Library of Bucharest or Biblioteca Centrală Universitară. On our left side, across the street is the the National Museum of Art of Romania.

Now, about the library. It was founded in 1895 as the Carol I Library of the University Foundation as an answer to the needs of the University of Bucharest, founded in 1864. It was built on land bought by King Carol I of Romania for the "Carol I University Foundation" and designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau. The building was opened in 1895. In 1911, it was extended by the same architect and the new wing was opened in 1914. It began with an initial stock of 3,400 volumes of books and periodicals. The collection grew and (after beeing reorganized in 1948 as the Central Library of Bucharest University) it contained over 2 million volumes in 1970.

During the Romanian Revolution of 1989, a fire was started in the building and over 500,000 books, along with 3,700 manuscripts, were burnt. Also, the works of art that adorned the interiors, such as stained glass, paintings and sculptures, disappeared. At the beginning of the 1990s, the building was repaired and modernized, being reopened on 20 November 2001.

In front of us we can admire the Romanian Athenaeum or Ateneul Român, a concert hall designed by the French architect Albert Galleron. The building was inaugurated in 1888 and a portion of the construction funds was raised by public subscription.  The slogan is still remembered today: "Donate one leu for the Ateneu!" The overall style is neoclassical, with some more romantic touches. The exterior architecture combines several styles. The portico marks the entrance with six Ionic columns and pediment of Greek temple.

Inside the concert hall it is a very large fresco from 1937 which depicts the most important moments of Romanian history starting with the conquest of Dacia by Roman emperor Trajan and ending with the realization of Greater Romania in 1918. It is painted with the al fresco technique which is known for keeping the colors vivid. Romanian Athenaeum has been inscribed in 2007 on the list of the Label of European Heritage sites. The Athenaeum activity manifested mainly through conferences, musical and literary evenings and art exhibitions. Now, it hosts the "George Enescu" Philharmonic and the “George Enescu” annual international music festival.

Over there it is Athénée Palace Hotel, today better known as Hilton, the first building in Bucharest which was built using reinforced concrete. It is designed by Théophile Bradeu, a French architect and was opened in 1914. The hotel was modernized after Duiliu Marcu’s plans between 1935 and 1937. It was affected by the 1989 events and entirely renovated afterwards.     

We are now in front of The National Museum of Art of Romania. The façade has two entrances. The one from the left was intended for the King’s usage and the one from the right was reserved for the officials. The palace features notable collections of medieval and modern Romanian art, as well as an international collection. It is built in neoclassical style, and it has one main body and two parts that together form the “U” shape that we see. Built at the beginning of the 19th century, it was initially the home of a Romanian boyar. In 1859 it became the home of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruler of the Romanian Principalities, and then the home of Carol I (King Carol I of Romania since 1881). During the Communist Era, the palace was known as “The Palace of the Socialist Republic of Romania”.     

Through the decades, the building suffered changes, additions and it was severely damaged twice. In 2000, part of the museum reopened to the public, housing the modern Romanian collection and the international collection. The Romanian collection features sculptures by Constantin Brâncuși and Dimitrie Paciurea, as well as paintings by Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Theodor Pallady, Gheorghe Tattarescu,  Nicolae Tonitza, Herman Maxy and Victor Brauner. The international collection includes works by El Greco, Tintoretto, Jan van Eyck, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley.

We are now heading to The Cişmigiu Gardens or Parcul Cişmigiu which is a public park with an artificial lake. I suggest we sit down on the benches for a few minutes while I present you its history. The gardens form the oldest and, at 17 hectares, the largest park in city's central area. The main entrance is from Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, in front of the City Hall.  In 1843, prince Gheorghe Bibescu called on experts in horticulture and planning to join in the effort to restructure the city gardens. Carl Meyer was involved in redesigning this area. He was responsible for setting up the new lanes, for planting new floral species, as well as for setting up a Romantic landscape. The gardens were ultimately inaugurated on September 23, 1847.

The gardens were built on a site formerly known as the "Lake of Dura the merchant", or simply as Dura. The pool it replaced was a popular site for fishing from as early as the 17th century, and was inhabited by mallard colonies. A part of the present-day gardens was occupied by a vineyard, which was planted around a water source. The word cişmigiu comes from Turkish: a Çeșme is a public fountain and a cişmigiu used to be the person responsible for building and maintaining public fountains.

Cişmigiu Gardens continued to be developed by Meyer long after its official inauguration. In 1870, he laid out a plan to redesign the lanes, to introduce an artesian aquifer, and to create a kiosk for an orchestra. He also proposed to have gondolas carrying visitors over the lake. In 1882, the gardens were fitted with electrical lighting. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Gardens were frequented by the residents who enjoyed promenades, military music, folk music bands and representations by strollers.

Cişmigiu is referred to in several literary works. These include several sketch stories by Ion Luca Caragiale and a novel by Grigore Băjenaru, titled Cişmigiu et comp., that traces events in the life of high school students who spend much of their time in the park. Tudor Arghezi, a significant Romanian writer romanticizes Cismigiu, saying that it is made of “a roses alley, a lake, weeping willows, the sentimental halt of the officials, editors and students from the neighborhood. The teachers that skipped school dream with a Latin writer in their hands and they hide when their students who also skipped school, pass by. Nature makes it easier to dream. Boats and swans on the lake, doves in the trees. It is a children’s park. It also has a monumental alley for the bees and butterflies convoy”.     

Now let’s take a walk through this historical park in which we can find not also beautiful landscape and a touch of fresh air but also some important monuments.

Here we have Sissi’s Spring or Izvorul Sissi, created by Ioan Dimitriu Bârlad. It depicts a mother, aggrieved by the death of her daughter, pouring water from a pitcher. It is made of stone.

This circular alley inaugurated in 1943 is called the "Writers' Rotunda". Here we can admire the carved marble[1] busts of twelve important Romanian writers.

This monument is called "The Monument of French Heroes" and it commemorates French soldiers who died fighting during the World War I Romanian Campaign. The monument is made of Carrara marble and it depicts a French soldier wounded on the battlefield and a charity sister. The monument is the work of the Romanian sculptor Ion Jalea and was made in 1920.   

I hope you enjoyed the time spent together this morning! For lunch, if you want to indulge in Romanian cuisine, I recommend to you Vatra, a restaurant located nearby your hotel. I wish to you all the best and a very nice vacation! Prettige dag!  

 Suport bibliografic

Arghezi, T. (1972). Cu bastonul prin Bucureşti. Bucureşti, Minerva.

Bilcea, V., Bilcea, A. (2009). Dicţionarul monumentelor şi locurilor celebre din Bucureşti. Bucureşti, Meronia.

Colfescu, S. (2001). Bucureşti. Ghid turistic, istoric, artistic. Bucureşti, Vremea.

Georgescu, F., Cernovodeanu, P., Cebuc A. (1966). Monumente din Bucureşti. Bucureşti, Meridiane.

Pârvulescu, I. (2003). Întoarcere în Bucureştiul Interbelic. Bucureşti, Humanitas.

Suport virtual

Cercel, E. (2012). Marea frescă de la Ateneul Român – Creaţia pictorului Costin Petrescu. [Online] Disponibil la http://www.noema.crifst.ro/doc/2012_6_02.pdf [Accesat la data de 09.08.2013].  

www.cismigiuparc.ro

www.mnar.ro

www.wikipedia.ro

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[1] Unii autori menţionează piatra, alţii menţionează marmura.  

Lucrare de absolvire - Seria I 2013 - Gisela Moldoveanu

Palatul Parlamentului – Dealul Mitropoliei - Piata Unirii

Am ales acest traseu care se poate parcurge in aprox 4 ore pentru grupurile de turisti care vin la Bucuresti sa vada cea mai mare cladire civila din lume, realizata in capitala unei tari despre care nu stiu prea multe lucruri.

            Aceasta constructie a urmat drumul tipic al realizarilor comuniste : generatia arhitectilor consacrati a fost inlocuita cu o echipa tanara, la prima manifestare profesionala, mai usor de coordonat de liderul ierarhiei politice, “cel mai bun arhitect, constructor, genial conducator”, etc – Nicolae Ceausescu.

            A rezultat un mega palat in care functionalitatea , rationalitatea economica, necesitatea sociala nu au fost atinse pe masura ambitiilor de a demonstra superioritatea societatii socialiste.

       Casa Poporului este un fenomen aparte, strain constuctiilor din Bucuresti si chiar din tara noastra.

       Dealul Mitropoliei este in schimb un reper simbolic supranumit, Colina Bucuriei.

        Colina Bisericii patriarhale a fost salvata ca prin minune de furia demolatoare pentru constructia noului centru politic administrativ. Biserica Manastirii Sf imparati Constantin si Elena ctitorita de domnitorul Tarii Romanesti, Constantin Serban Basarab, 1654- 1658 si sotia sa Balasa, a devenit in 1668 Catedrala mitropolitana, iar 1925 Catedrala patriarhala.

       Paul din Alep, secretarul patriarhului Macarie al Antiohiei , nota in 1657 :” o biserica mareata si stralucita semanand pe dinauntru cu cea de la Curtea de Arges, numai ca acesta este de caramida si are 12 stalpi din piatra “. In biserica se pastreaza moastele intregi ale sf cuvios Dimitrie cel nou, patronul Bucurestilor.

       Catapeteasma aurita, icoane pictate in tempera si aur pe lemn, policandru cel mare din argint, candelele din argint, sfesnicele cele mari imparatesti, silturi arhieresti sculptate si aurite, pictura tip fresco sunt valori artistice ce impodobesc catedrala.

       Palatul Patriarhiei 1903-1907 este un exemplu de rezolvare arhitecturala deosebita care exploateaza panta naturala a colinei si care respecta rolul dominant al bisericii.

        Resedinta patriarhala, 1932-1937 , este un alt exemplu de folosire reusita a situatiei terenului, accesul de pe platoul Patriarhiei nu ne permite sa ne imaginam monumentalitatea cladirii.

       Pe Dealul Mitropoliei sunt amplasate trei statui, repere ale istoriei Bucurestilor:

-          Crucea lui Papa Brancoveanu, pe locul unde a fost asasinat tatal domnitorului Constantin Brancoveanu

-          Domitorul Serban Cantacuzino, tinand in mana biblia (1668), care l-a facut celebru (sculptor Mihai Buculei)

-          Principele Unirii Al. I. Cuza (sculptor Paul Vasilescu). Acest amplasament sugereaza faptul ca prin legea de secularizare a averilor manastiresti, Cuza a blocat doar spolierea averilor tarii de manastirile straine si nu a  adus atingere credintei stramosesti.

La poalele dealului se afla Piata Unirii, important loc de shoping.

Dintre terasele si restaurantele pe care le intalnim la tot pasul, Hanul lui Manuc de la 1808, revenit mostenitorior Cantacuzini, ne imbie prin atmosfera tipica.

Traseul poate fi parcurs in ambele sensuri.

Lucrare de absolvire seria I 2013 - Minodora Cerin

Traseul Calea Victoriei

Calea Victoriei (lungime 2,7 km), bulevardul cel mai incarcat de istorie, pastreaza, in ciuda tuturor regimurilor politice traiectoria initiala, sinuoasa in prime doua treimi ale traseului, cel cuprins între Piata Senatului si Calea Grivitei. Numele strazii aminteste de prima mare victorie din epoca moderna, cea din Razboiul de Independenta din anul 1877.

Nu va lasati inselati de aspectul celer doua blocuri moderne amplasate la intrarea dinspre Piata Victoriei, ele au fost ultima zvacnire a unui „gen” abandonat imediat dupa Revolutia din 1989. Cu toate acestea, Calea Victoriei are amprenta unei arhitecturi eclectice, datorata atat lungii istorii a acestei artere, cat si gustului necenzurat al comanditarilor.

Palatul Cantacuzino [1] (1898 – 1906), (À 10am - 5pm, marti-dum) realizat in stilul Art Nouveau gazduieste in prezent muzeul dedicat compozitorului roman de faima mondiala, George Enescu, caruia ii este dedicat si un Festival international de muzica George Enescu, care a ajuns in 2011 la cea de-a 20-a editie.

Daca nu este prea devreme pentru o pauza de cafea, traversati strada, la nr. 214, unde veti gasi Ciocolateria Venchi, care serveste specialitati de ciocolata italieneasca Venchi .

La nr 133, Casa Vernescu [2] pastreaza farmecul si stralucirea arhitecturala conferita de Ion Mincu in 1890. Casa cuprinde Casino Palace, cel mai elegant cazinou din Bucuresti si  un restaurant pe masura. 

Cel mai inalt for de stiinta si cultura, Academia Romana [3], a implinit in 2011 145 de ani de existenta. Actualul sediu construit in 1935, a fost extins cu o noua biblioteca in anul 2000. 

Casa Uniunii Scriitorilor [4] (la nr 115), fosta Casa Monteoru-Catargi are un interior deosebit de secol XIX. Daca curiozitatea va indeamna, patrundeti in acest lacas al telentelor literare, fie si pentru a face cateva fotografii. Muzeul Colectiilor de Arta [5], la nr 111 (1883), este temporar inchis pentru restaurare si pentru a reamenajare moderna a expozitiilor de arta romaneasca si extrem orientala.

Dupa ce treceti intersectia, pe partea opusa, puteti admira lucrarile in sticla ale artistului contemporan Ioan Nemtoi, in galeria [6] (À 10 am – 8 pm, luni-vineri)  care-i poarta numele  sau sa vizionati un spectacol la Teatrul Act [7], primul teatru privat din Bucuresti, condus de actorul Marcel Iures.

La intersectia cu strada Gen. Berthelot privirile va sunt atrase de monumentalul edificiu neogotic construit in anul 1884, Catedrala Romano-Catolica Sfantul Iosif [8], cu vitraliile executate la Munchen.

Daca nu ati innoptat la Hotel Radisson [9] sau la Hotel Athenee Palace [10] (1914), din lantul Hilton, puteti intra in braseria chic de la parter pentru o cafea sau, de ce nu, pentru a lua pranzul.

Piata Revolutiei [11] sau Piata Palatului este cel mai mare largo de pe Calea Victoriei, cu cele mai multe monumente istorice pe metru patrat de pe traseul Calea Victoriei: Palatul Regal, Atheneul Roman, Biblioteca Centrala Universitara (BCU), Ministerul de Interne, Biserica Kretzulescu, statuia ecvestra a Regelui Carol I, Monumentul Eroilor Revolutiei de la 1889 si statuile oamenilor politici Iuliu Maniu si Corneliu Coposu.

In fostul palat regal, restaurat dupa incendiul din 1927, dupa bombardamentul din 1944 si distrugerile din decembrie 1989, functioneaza Muzeul National de Arta al Romaniei [12](À 11 am – 7 pm mier-dum: mai – sept; 10am – 6 pm: oct – apr). Muzeul are numeroase galerii de arta, prin urmare rezervati-va cel putin o jumatate de zi pentru a admira colectiile de arta romaneasca veche si moderna, precum si colectiile arta europeana.

Atheneul Roman – Filarmonica George Enescu [13], construit prin subscriptie publica intre anii 1886-1895 a fost mult timp simbolul neoficial al Bucurestiului. Concertele saptamanale si Festivalul International George Enescu ofera iubitorilor de muzica simfonica auditii de exceptie, sustinute de mari interpreti ai lumii.

Biblioteca Centrala Universitara [14], construita cu prilejul aniversarii a 25 de ani de domnie a regelui Carol I, reprezinta cea mai moderna biblioteca din Bucuresti, careia i s-a alaturat din 1996 noi spatii de lectura si o galerie de arta contemporana.

Biserica Kretzulescu [15], lacas de cult ortodox, da o nota aparte de inceput de secol XVIII intregii Piete a Revolutiei prin stilul sau specific brancovenesc. Este surpinzator ca biserica a supravietuit peste secole si mai ales celor cinci decenii de dictatura comunista, tocmai in vecinatatea sediului Comitetului Central al Partidului Comunist, care o inscrisese pe lista numeroaselor biserici condamnate la disparitie in perioada marilor demolari.

Magazinul Muzica [16], la nr 41, merita un scurt popas pentru a va cumpara ca suveniruri cd-uri cu muzica romaneasca.

La nr 35, Palatul Telefoanelor [17], primul zgarie - nori din Bucuresti, construit  in 1934, cu ornamentica in stil Art Deco si-a pastrat statutul de cea mai inalta cladire pana in anul 1970. Astazi, cladirea continua sa fie principalul sediu al companiei nationale de telefonie.  

Casa Capsa [18] (1874), hotel, restaurant si cafenea, decorate in stil belle - epoque, a fost locul de intalnire preferat al artistilor, scriitorilor si politicienilor romani pana la izbucnirea celui de-al II-lea razboi mondial. Cofetaria Capsa, faimoasa odinioara in toata Europa pentru ciocolata sa fina, are in continuare specialitati de ciocolata, care pastreaza retetele originale.

Monumentala cladire a Cercului Militar National [19], terminata dupa primul razboi mondial, se autodefineste prin teme decorative specifice, precum acvile, armurarie, drapele, executate in maniera beaux arts. Astazi, in cladire au loc numeroase aniversari, conferinte, baluri si expozitii de arta.

Iuliu Maniu din Piata Revolutiei

Peste drum, Grand Hotel Du Boulevard [20], aflat in restaurare, a fost prima cladire care a avut apa curenta din Bucuresti, inca din anul 1867.

Biserica Zlatari [21], la nr 12, refacuta de breasla aurarilor in anul 1907. Datorita pozitiei sale, pe cea mai importanta artera a orasului, aflata in  apropierea Curtii Domnesti si a zonei comerciale Lipscani, in ciuda avariilor produse de cutremure, a fost de fiecare data refacuta si chiar extinsa, devenind in secolul al XVIII-lea una dintre cele mai bogate manastiri din capitala. Grav afectata dupa cutremurul devastator din 1977, a fost relocata o data cu constructia blocurilor care o eclipseaza.

Bucharest Financial Plaza [22] este o pata de culoare moderna in acest lung sir al cladirilor din secole trecute.

Palatul CEC [23] si Palatul Postelor [24], doua cladiri de la 1900, aflate in apropierea Pietei Natinunilor Unite, inchid sau mai bine zis deschid periplul nostru pe calea Victoriei. Inspirate de arhitectura Petit    Palais de la Paris, respectiv Palais de Postes, de la Geneva, aceste doua replici au fost la randul lor modele pentru constructii mai modeste ale burgheziei.

Daca destinatia initiala a Palatului CEC se pastreaza si astazi, Palatul Postelor a fost modificat in interior si transformat in 1972 in Muzeul National de Istorie a Romaniei (À 10am – 6 pm, mier-dum), care adaposteste valoroase colectii precum Tezaurul Istoric, Lapidarium-ul şi Columna lui Traian.

La Hanul Berarilor [26], amplasat intr-o veche casa boiereasca, puteti petrece o seara cu mancaruri si muzica traditionala romaneasca. Este usor de reperat, aflandu-se in spatele Bisericutei Sfantul Spiridon Vechi, o bisericuta cu farmec, care desi demolata de comunisti in 1987, a fost reconstruita pe vechiul amplasament, in forma sa originara in 1996. Mai mult, alaturi, s-a construit o casa de sanatate care poarta numele Nadiei Comaneci, multipla campioana olimpica si mondiala care a obtinut primul 10 din istoria gimnasticii, in 1976 la Montreal.