The ancient remains
Anyone interested in ancient architecture will be enthused in Romania, starting with the unmissable Dacian fortresses in the mountains of Orăștie. Located in the county of Hunedoara, their construction dates back to the first centuries before and after Christ. I
t was at this time that Sarmizegetusa Regia held the status of capital of the Dacian state, just before the Roman invasion. The various constructions are a mixture of concepts and techniques of military and religious architecture, and the six defensive works that visitors can discover today are extremely well preserved and take place in the heart of an exceptional and green natural site. While the Greeks were renowned for their superb constructions, they did not fail to leave their mark on Romanian territory, particularly on the Black Sea coast in the 7th century BC. The city of Histria is today the most beautiful testimony of this period and the most important Romanian archaeological site. There are remains of thermal baths, basilicas and shops that were discovered in 1914 during excavations. Visiting the adjacent museum, one can also admire beautiful columns that were moved for protection.Local architecture, Byzantine and Western influences
During theMiddle Ages, the country was influenced by Western and Byzantine currents, albeit at very different levels.
It is from this period that the most spectacular achievements of popular architecture date back: the wooden church of Maramureș, the Apuseni, monasteries, princely mansions... In Transylvania, the materials and techniques used in Western Europe were quickly adapted. Thus, the Black Church of Brașov or the castle of Hunedoara will be inspired by the Gothic style. Transylvania is one of the most fascinating regions of Romania from an architectural point of view. From fortified town to fortified town, you can see the original way in which they were built. Religious monuments are then centrally located and urban development always seems to be done with respect to this element. The cities of Brașov, Sibiu and Sighișoara
are perfect examples.In Moldova, foreign influences are less visible. The same is true in Wallachia, where local architecture is largely inspired by the Byzantine style and ignores Western trends (the Curtea Monastery in Argeș, for example). From the 15th century onwards, the Moldavian style began to emerge, through the innumerable monasteries built under the princes Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare, died in 1504) and then Petru Rareș (died in 1546). The Moldavian style is a wonderful combination of local architecture, Gothic elements and Byzantine structure. Covered with rich paintings, the facades of these monasteries are truly exceptional. For example, the monastery at Voroneț, located not far from the town of Gura Humorului, has a trefoil plan and interior paintings that were added at the time of construction in the 14th century. The exterior paintings were added in the following century. They evoke religious scenes from the creation of the world to the Last Judgement. Another beautiful example of Moldavian architecture is the Probata Monastery
. The exterior paintings there also depict scenes from the New and Old Testament. From 1996 to 2001, the church was restored, the building being considered the most representative of Moldavian churches. One cannot mention Stephen the Great without mentioning his involvement in the construction of a large number of stone fortresses in Moldova. Places such as the fortresses of Suceava, Neamț and Soroca have resisted invasion attempts and sieges very well, and today still display a flamboyant architecture.The Brâncovan style
In the 17th century, as many monasteries were still being built, but princely residences and castles were also built. The Italian Renaissance inspired local architects. It was at this time that the Brâncovan style appeared, named after the prince-builder Constantin Brâncoveanu (1664-1714). This style is largely inspired by the local traditional architecture and blends Venetian and oriental elements. Among the monuments that have been built in the Brâncovan style is the Monastery of Hurezi, one of the most famous and included in the UNESCO heritage list. There are verandas inspired by peasant verandas, but decorated with Italian Renaissance elements such as loggias. The palace of Mogoșoaia is another beautiful example. Located 15 km from the centre of Bucharest, this prestigious residence has pink brick facades with beautiful windows with tri-lobed arcades. The loggias with twisted columns contribute to give this place the immediate feeling of being in Venice. But one speaks well here of the Brâncovan style, a style with various influences, and which remains peculiar to Romania. To demonstrate the importance of the style and the influence of man on the whole territory, other monuments of the style are scattered throughout the country. Thus, the monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus in Transylvania and the monastery of Brâncoveni in Oltenia are other jewels not to be missed.On the way to the 20th century
At thedawn of the 18th century, towns grew and more residential or administrative buildings were built than religious complexes. The Baroque style is largely dominant in Transylvania, as evidenced by the Brukenthal Palace in Sibiu. In the 19th century, classical and romantic buildings made their appearance. However, local revolts, outbreaks of nationalism, and the union of the country favoured the return of traditional architecture. At the same time, Romania, fascinated by France, resumed the eclectic or classical styles in vogue in Paris, as shown for example by the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. Great French architects are then invited to express all their talent in the country. This is why the city was given the nickname "Little Paris". This taste for imitating what is done elsewhere in Europe can also be seen in splendid buildings such as the castle at Peleș.
Built of stone, brick and marble, it reflects a perfect blend of styles, including Italian Renaissance, Gothic, French Rococo and German Baroque. Some do not hesitate to say that it is one of the most beautiful castles in the world. Modernist and functionalist buildings are making their appearance in the centre of Bucharest: the Tehnoimport building is a remarkable example of modernist architecture, typical of the 1930s, of which Marcel Iancu and Horia Creangă were the forerunners in Romania. The Patria cinema (former ARO building) on Magheru Boulevard
is another fine example.The Ceauşescu era
Desired population growth and forced systematization: the communist period was marked by the construction of vast neighbourhoods of standardized housing blocks, the building of rigid civic centres in each prefecture, the destruction of thousands of old houses and traditional villages.
The old centres of many cities disappeared partially or entirely (Bucharest) in favour of monumental administrative buildings. Dormitory districts then flourish on the outskirts of the cities, with gigantic blocks of eight- to ten-storey buildings, as can be seen in the districts of Giurgiului, Titan and Taberei, on the fringes of the Romanian capital. Neighbourhoods which, moreover, are of little interest in terms of architecture, but which meet a need for housing. And for its urban planning programme, Nicolae Ceaușescu takes its inspiration from the USSR, whose large housing estates are perfectly suited to the need to house people from rural areas and to increase the number of people employed in industry.
Today, Romanian cities are struggling to break away from this model. The charm of old houses is being rediscovered and renovated, but the bulk of the investment is in the construction of pretentious glass towers, which lack charm and originality.Rural architecture
By visiting the different regions of the country, one can measure the richness and diversity of popular architecture in the habitat and construction of churches: variety of materials (wood, stone, clay...), forms (vertical and horizontal buildings), presence of closed or open courtyards, portals
. Although modern materials have replaced traditional ones, we still see in the countryside houses made of intertwined branches and coated with clay, roofs made of wooden tiles, thatch (rye or wheat) of varying heights, and rush (in the delta). Thus, on both sides of the territory, and during escapades to rural areas, one can be lucky enough to come across a Romanian rural house on one level or composed of one or two floors. Stones and wood are the main materials that have been used. Built in the mountainous areas, you can occasionally see them in the plains. The roof forms an overhang that provides protection from the sun or rain depending on the season. The porch is also a very important element in the Romanian rural house. It is carefully decorated with flowers or vine leaves. The pirogue house (or bordei) is the oldest type of Romanian rural house. It is a semi-underground dwelling, peasant par excellence, built with mud walls where wooden planks were veneered, while the sloping roof was covered with thatch.The architecture is influenced by the climate, by economic needs (livestock, viticulture...) and by the materials available: wood from the forests in Maramureș, stones from the ancient Dacian fortresses used for houses and churches in Densuș or Strei
, clay in the plains, without forgetting the various skills brought by successive invaders. To appreciate this diversity, if you don't have time to travel all over the country, it is advisable to visit the museums of the Open Air Village in Bucharest or Sibiu, for example, where the different types of houses, churches and rural buildings are reconstructed.An architectural heritage to preserve
Bucharest is a capital city that cannot be associated with a particular gender. One can even easily recognize by walking through its various districts that it is a city of a thousand faces. Through its architecture, you can read its history, and how civilizations, artistic trends and outside influences have played an important role in the face it reflects today. From the Ottoman Empire, through the fascination with French architecture and the pastiches of the great Russian ensembles, one can at the bend in the street set eyes on a triumphal arch, a splendid Orthodox church or a large bar of Soviet-inspired buildings.
Romania surprises by its architectural richness. Some of the buildings are even priceless. In spite of the too few local initiatives and the international programmes for the enhancement of the heritage which are still in their infancy, the list of historical monuments to be renovated is still long. All too often, the preference is to let hundred-year-old buildings deteriorate in order to build new ones. Even if money is the main problem, it is also due to the indifference of local authorities.
