b i r d ' s e y e v i e w o f

romaniav ` z u t ` d i n a v i o n

DDeessccrriieerreeaa CCIIPP aa BBiibblliiootteecciiii NNaa]]iioonnaallee aa RRoommâânniieeiiPPEETTRREESSCCUU,, ßßTTEEFFAANNRRoommâânniiaa vv~~zzuutt~~ ddiinn aavviioonn / ßtefan Petrescu; versiunea englez~: Constantin Lucian [i Ioana Luca. -Bucure[ti: Noi Media Print, 2004

ISBN: 973-7959-06-X

I. Lucian Constantin (trad.)II. Luca, Ioana (trad.)

913(498)

Text / Text - Augustin Ioan

Concep]ie grafic~ / Graphic Design - Silvia Gugu, Iulian Capsali

DTP - Gabriel Nicula

Fotografii / Photos - ßtefan Petrescu

Legende / Captions - Dana Voiculescu, Mihaela Dâmbean

Versiune englez~ / English version - Ioana Luca, Constantin Lucian

Director de proiect / Project manager - Arpad Harangozo, Ovidiu Morar

Peisaj [i a[ezare

Sites and landscapes

21

Amprentele istoriei

Traces of history

37

Semnele credin]ei

Signs of faith

59

Peisaje citadine

Cityscapes

73

Bucure[ti

Bucharest

89

Deasupra litoralului

The seaside seen from above

97

CCuupprriinnss CCoonntteennttss

r o mv`zut` din avion

prefa]` de AUGUSTIN IOAN

a n i abird’s eye view of

ßtefan Petrescu

6

rhitec]ii prezint~ adeseori ora[ele [i casele \ntr-un tip de perspectiv~ numit~ à

vol d’oiseau, dup~ tradi]ia [colii de beaux-arts. Aceast~ perspectiv~ conic~

plonjant~ dezv~luie zidirile noastre viitoare de la o \n~l]ime de la care niciodat~ nu vor

fi privite decât de p~s~ri [i pasagerii aeronavelor. De ce atunci aceast~ atrac]ie pentru

un tip de perspectiv~ care „am~ge[te” privitorul, punându-l \ntr-o postur~ de

observator \n care, de fapt, nu se va afla niciodat~? Pentru c~ perspectiva à vol

d’oiseau este o form~ de supraveghere, dar una blând~. Ea d~ iluzia „puterii” asupra

peisajului, a a[ez~rii sau a casei respective, \ntrucât implic~ o privire descendent~, de

la o distan]~ de la care [i ceea ce este monumental, sau chiar sublim, nu mai strive[te

observatorul.

Dominarea ansamblului prin reducerea sc~rii elementelor este de asemenea, o

caracteristic~ a acestui fel de privire. Ne uit~m la realitate ca [i cum, p~strând

propor]iile, am privi un model al ei. S~ ne amintim c~ toate marile construc]ii urbane

ale secolului XX au fost precedate de alter~ri directe ale unor machete prezentate spre

inspectare à vol d’oiseau celui ce decidea soarta ora[elor respective. çn]elegem

modelele, dar vastitatea [i complexitatea realit~]ii - nu. Prin urmare privirea de la

\n~l]ime ne tempereaz~ angoasele legate de inscrutinabilitatea realit~]ii pedestre.

Ora[ul place privit de sus, de pe o colin~ \nvecinat~, din turla unei biserici, de pe

acoperi[ul unui turn. Se spune c~ vederea cea mai frumoas~ a Parisului este aceea din

turnul Montparnasse, pentru c~ de acolo nu se vede...turnul Montparnasse \nsu[i (un

zgârie-nori \ntr-adev~r hidos [i total rupt de scara amplas~rii sale urbane). Manhattan-

ul privit de pe Empire State Building pare mai blajin [i aproape domestic. M~n~stirile

Moldovei sau Bucure[tii \n[i[i ne apar mai pitore[ti \n fotografiile lui ßtefan Petrescu.

A

Fotografiilepe care le propune

domnul ßtefan Petrescu pun probleme dcelui care l

Mr. Stefan Petrescu’s photographspose q

7

rchitects often show their cities or houses from what is known, in the tradition of

the beaux-arts school, as an “à vol d’oiseau” perspective. This plunging conical

perspective shows us how our future constructions would look (or will look) from above -

from that point from which, in fact, only birds or travellers in their plane seats will ever see

them. What motivates the general attraction for a type of perspective that “seduces” the

viewer by placing her in a position in which in fact she will never find herself? One answer

is that this is also a way of gently watching over things. It gives the illusion of “power” over

landscape in general or a particular house or a site, as it implies a descending gaze, which

renders even the monumental or sublime sites unable to crush the observer anymore.

Another characteristic of this kind of gaze is its ability to dominate the whole by

reducing the scale of the elements. We look at reality as if, in a sense, we were watching

a model. Let us remember that all the major urban changes in the 20th century were

preceded by direct modifications of the models offered for an “à vol d’oiseau” inspection

to the person in charge of the fate of the respective cities. Models are something that we

understand, while the vastness and complexity of reality are not. Accordingly, the bird’s eye

view helps us temper our anxieties related to the inscrutability of reality when watched

from below. We like the city when we watch it from above - from a nearby hill, a church

spire, a tower roof. It is said that the most beautiful view of Paris is that seen from the

Montparnasse Tower, because from there one does not see… the Montparnasse Tower

itself (which is a hideous skyscraper that is totally out of scale with its surroundings).

Manhattan, when seen from the Empire State building, seems gentle and almost domestic.

The monasteries of Moldavia or Bucharest itself also look more picturesque in ßtefan

Petrescu’s photographs.

A

de interpretare le inspecteaz~ acum,

questions of interpretationto those

who admire them now,

8

Tocmai pentru c~ face vizibile perspective prea pu]in la \ndemâna muritorilor,

perspectiva plonjant~ (ca, de altfel, planul \nsu[i) ofer~ arhitec]ilor modalit~]i de control

a numeroase aspecte ale proiect~rii, sau ale rezultatelor acesteia. Ele dezv~luie rela]ia

cu contextul natural [i/sau urban, despre care vom mai vorbi [i \n comentariul

fotografiilor de fa]~ de fa]~.

Perspectiva „din zborul p~s~rii” mediaz~ \ntre ceea ce vede ochiul uman [i

ceea ce supravegheaz~ ochiul divin. Privind de sus, nu exist~ ascundere - ca de privirea

pârjolitoare a sateli]ilor militari - nu exist~ ascundere decât \n opacitatea unei zidiri sau

\n m~runtaiele p~mântului. Oblicitatea acestei priviri d~ seama cu sfial~ despre

imposibilitatea unui control absolut asupra realit~]ii inspectate.

Perspectiva „din zborul p~s~rii” este blând~: multe detalii r~mân ascunse, prin

opacitate, vederii plonjante. Exist~ mereu conuri de umbr~, de invizibilitate relativ~, prin

urmare exist~ teritorii ale intimit~]ii pe care camera nu le devoaleaz~. Apar mereu

direc]ii de fug~, ascunz~tori. Mereu r~mân câtimi ascunse, pe care ßtefan Petrescu [i-a

propus s~ le reduc~ la minimum rotindu-se - cu avion [i camer~ deopotriv~ - \mprejurul

obiectivelor sale.

Se pierd inevitabil detaliile pe care le revel~ apropierea. çn nici una dintre aceste

fotografii nu exist~ informa]ii „tactile”, legate de texturi, de porozit~]i ale materiei, de

consisten]~. Pe de alt~ parte \ns~, perspectiva à vol d’oiseau descoper~ altfel de detalii,

din rândul celor inaccesibile \n mod curent, de la \n~l]imea statului de om. Din acest

punct de vedere, multe dintre fotografiile autorului de fa]~ sunt revelatoare [i, uneori,

surprinz~toare. çn concluzie, ceea ce se pierde \n anumite privin]e se recupereaz~ \n

altele (când fotografiile sunt luate de aproape) dar ceea ce ofer~ \n plus acest album

asamblate \ntr-o form~ final~.O fac \ntr-un mod

pe c

when they are They do that in a way

hat I like to t

As it makes visible views that are not commonly accessible to ordinary mortals, the

plunging perspective, as well as the plane itself, offer architects ways of controlling a larger

number of aspects connected to design or its results. They make obvious the relationship

between a construction and its natural and/or urban context, and I will have more to say

about this in connection to the photographs included in the present album.

The bird’s eye view mediates between what the human eye can see and what the

divine eye watches over. When watched from above, with a piercing gaze similar to that

of military satellites, hiding is possible only behind the opacity of a building or in the entrails

of the earth. The obliqueness of such a view may timidly account for the impossibility of

having absolute control over the examined reality.

The bird’s eye view is gentle: many details are hidden by what stands, as opacity,

in the way of the plunging view. There are always areas in shadow, which remain invisible

relative to the eye or the camera, and consequently there are territories of intimacy that the

camera cannot unveil. There are always lines of flight or hiding places. There are always

hidden parts, which ßtefan Petrescu has decided to reduce to a minimum by

circumnavigating, in a plane and with a camera, his objectives.

All details revealed by proximity are inevitably lost. None of these photographs

offers “tactile” information - information about texture, porosities or the consistency of the

materials. On the other hand, the bird’s eye view reveals another kind of details, which are

not accessible from our normal watching positions. From this point of view, many of the

photographs of the present author are revealing and sometimes also quite surprising. In

conclusion, what one misses in this album may be easily recuperated by looking through

others - those in which the photographs are taken from close proximity; however, what the

9

care, \mi place s~ cred,autorul lor nu l-a prev~zut.

finally gathered together.

o think that their author has not foreseen.

10

este inegalabil [i, de aceea este necesar~ inspectarea ofertei lui spre a completa

informa]iile furnizate de alte \ntreprinderi similare.

Fotografiile cuprinse \ntre coper]ile prezentului album spun ceva despre

România. P~s~rile, \n transhuman]a lor, pot vedea [i aceste aspecte ale peisajului

românesc. Desigur - iar aici divulg o nuan]~ de regret a editorilor - nu este o privire

exhaustiv~ [i, mai cu seam~, nu este una „echilibrat~”, \n sensul c~ nu toate regiunile

istorice sunt reprezentate [i nici toate ora[ele sau edificiile considerate ca fiind cele mai

reprezentative nu au fost survolate [i, deci, ipostaziate de autor.

Dac~ acesta ar fi fost obiectivul artistului, probabil c~ observa]ia ar fi fost

pertinent~. Cu siguran]~ \ns~, artistul este atras \n primul rând de exemplaritatea

vizual~ a locurilor pe care le surprinde \n fotografiile sale mai mult decât de

exemplaritatea lor istoric~. De pild~, fotografiat~ \n perspectiv~ plonjant~, Coloana

Infinitului ar fi fost mai pu]in spectaculoas~ decât privit~ obi[nuit, de jos \n sus. Dar,

\ndr~znesc s~ sugerez \n cele ce urmeaz~, siajele \n urma c~rora s-a ales aceast~

cantitate de material fotografic, nefiind exhaustive, sunt totu[i extrem de l~muritoare

\n privin]a atributelor vizuale cele mai evidente ale peisajului natural [i urban autohton.

***

Voi dezam~gi pe mul]i spunând c~, privit~ astfel, România nu este nici mai

spectaculoas~, nici mai plictisitoare decât alte patrii. Iat~ de ce spectacolul fotografiilor

lui ßtefan Petrescu nu este unul care s~ sugereze unicitate [i s~ exalte patriotice inimi.

Dar, tocmai \n „normalitatea” acestor ilustra]ii rezid~ una din calit~]ile albumului. çn

firescul acestor fotografii - pe care, dincolo de accidentele istoriei recente sau de

caracterul teribil al unor „[tiri” curente, \l surprinde amuzat~, dar cu profunzime, [i

Joella Gipson \ntr-o carte de fotografie dedicat~ tot României - e de c~utat atributul

De regul~,arti[tii sunt

de interpret~rile pe care opera lor le isc~,

The artists

by the int e

11

present album has to offer is unique and therefore, in a similar fashion, we should also

examine its offer in order to supplement the information provided by similar albums.

The photographs included between the covers of the present album, tell us

something about Romania. Birds, when migrating, can see these aspects of the Romanian

landscape. Of course, and I divulge now the editors’ slight regret, this is not an exhaustive

view and, moreover, it is not a “balanced” one, in the sense that not all of Romania’s

historical regions are represented and not all the cities or buildings usually considered as

most representative have been flown over and captured on film by the author.

If such had been the artist’s objective, the observation might have been somewhat

pertinent. But it is doubtless that the artist is primarily attracted by the visual exemplarity of

the places that he captures in his photographs rather than by their historical exemplarity.

For instance, when photographed from a plunging perspective, Brâncu[i’s Infinity Column

would have been much less spectacular than it is when looked at, as appropriate, from

below. Yet, I daresay that the explorations that have produced this amount of photographic

material, while not exhaustive, are yet extremely edifying with regard to the most obvious

visual attributes of Romania’s natural and urban landscapes.

***

It may come as a disappointment to many that, when watched in such a way,

Romania is neither more spectacular nor more boring than other countries. This is why

ßtefan Petrescu’s photographs do not suggest uniqueness and do not make hearts vibrate

patriotically. It is in the very “normality” of these illustrations that lies one of the album’s

major qualities. The most powerful attribute of the artist’s photographs can be found in

their very naturalness - which, leaving aside the accidents of recent history and the terrible

character of current “news,” is also captured, with amusement but also in earnest, by Joella

surprin[iare usually surprised

t erpretations their work of art lends itself to,

12

cel mai tare al lucr~rilor artistului. Normalitatea, „verismul” acestor fotografii este

\nvior~tor: avem o patrie normal~, totu[i. Suntem, cu natura [i cultura edificat~, \n

rândul lumii. Uneori, e drept, ruina unui sit arheologic se str~vede prin vegeta]ia care

st~ la pând~ spre a \nghi]i lucrarea descoperitoare. Ici, vedem urâciunea unui l~ca[ de

cult ridicat (prea sus, prea mult, prea greu) dup~ 1989, colo se i]e[te pumnalul

demol~rilor \mplântat \n ]esutul urban al Bucure[tilor, sfâ[iindu-l. Toate acestea le [tim

[i ne dor, mai cu seam~ când - v~zute de la altitudine - se ridic~ cortinele care le-ar

putea camufla.

Dintru bun \nceput, trebuie spus c~ exist~ pu]ine peisaje \n \ntregime

„inocente” \ntre cele propuse de autorul fotografiilor. E destul s~ apar~ o c~rare

[erpuitoare, un baraj, un turn de televiziune sau sta]ie meteorologic~, o ambarca]iune

sau doar urma unui ogor, riguros sau nu trasat~, spre a \nceta orice preten]ie cu privire

la caracterul virginal al naturii.

Vedem, de asemenea, delicate]ea unei inser]ii ziditoare din str~vechime, care

nu numai ca nu siluie[te peisajul \n care se a[eaz~, ci, dimpotriv~, \l amplific~. Multe

dintre bisericile fortificate dimprejurul Bra[ovului vorbesc exact despre aceast~

consonare a naturii cu edificarea. Aparent fortifica]ia, cu acoperi[urile sale uneori [ui,

s-ar fi ridicat neriguros; or, fotografia à vol d’oiseau a lui ßtefan Petrescu ne dezv~luie

adev~rul, cel care de sus se vede cu limpezime. Nu numai c~ o asemenea cetate nu era

\ntâmpl~toare, dar ea func]iona ca o cutie de rezonan]~ a peisajului natural. Ceea ce

\n natur~ era doar poten]ial, se clarific~, iluminat prin zidire. Iar cetatea urmeaz~

aceast~ logic~ tectonic~, potrivit c~reia a[ezarea se distribuia dup~ liniile de for]~ ale

pretinzândca nici o clip~

d-lor nu se vor fi gândit lpe care l

pretending that they have never thought

(or, as here, the editor),

13

Gibson in her collection of photographs dedicated to Romania. The ordinariness and the

“verism” of these photographs are invigorating: we have, after all, a normal country. With

our nature and cultural edifices, just as they are, we are part of the world. However,

sometimes the ruins of an archaeological site are barely visible through the lush vegetation

that has covered much of it. Some other times, we can see the ugliness of a worship place

erected after 1989 and which is much too high, much too much, and much too heavy. Yet

another time, we see the threatening dagger of demolition cutting through the very urban

fabric of Bucharest and tearing it apart. We all know these things and they hurt us, mostly

when we see them from high up and all possible camouflage disappears.

It should be pointed out that few are the landscapes offered to our eyes that can

be said to be entirely “innocent.” All pretence about the virginal character of nature is gone

as soon as we catch a glimpse of a winding path, a dam, a TV tower or a meteorological

station, a boat or even the more or less clear marks in a field.

We also see, however, delicate insertions into the landscape that date from the

ancient times and do not spoil it, but rather amplify it. Many of the fortified churches

around Bra[ov, for instance, tell us exactly about this resonance between nature and old

edifices. It may look like these fortifications, with their sometimes slanted roofs, were

erected without rigour; ßtefan Petrescu’s “a vol d’oiseau” photographs finally reveal to us

the truth, which from above is clearly visible. Nothing was accidental in such a citadel;

furthermore, it acted as a resonant chamber of the natural landscape. What in nature

existed only potentially was made clear and illuminated by the very act of construction. All

la bazaconiile le inventeaz~ criticul sau, iat~,

prefa]atorul,

tabout the nonsense put forth by the art critic

14

peisajului. Or, tocmai asemenea fotografii de altitudine eviden]iaz~ exact caracterul

„mândru” al locurilor destinate a[ez~rii cet~]ilor. O cerea de altfel, \n ace[ti termeni, [i

Leon Battista Alberti \n ale sale zece c~r]i despre arta construc]iilor: locul trebuie s~ fie

„vizibil din toate p~r]ile”. Dar, mai cu seam~ - am ad~uga \n lumina \ntregii discu]ii

anterioare despre vizibilitate, privind fotografiile lui ßtefan Petrescu - locul trebuie s~

fie vizibil de sus.

Aceast~ scriere pe sit, care-i scoate din ascundere sau din jocul hazardului

natural, ca pe un minereu, frumuse]ea, r~mâne tr~s~tura cea mai apreciat~, cu toat~

nostalgia pe care o presupune irepetabilitatea ei, la arhitectura medieval~. Ce era

instinct al a[ez~rii pe sit s-a pierdut, iar a-l re\nv~]a va fi nevoie de multe decenii, cu

rezultate nu \ntotdeauna relevante. Multe din fotografiile de fa]~, dedicate ora[elor

române[ti contemporane, m~rturisesc aceast~ criz~ a rela]iei cu situl pe care a

instaurat-o mai cu seam~ arhitectura modern~ \n varianta comunismului est-european.

***

O \ntreag~ literatur~, descins~ din lucrarea sitului, irig~ nu numai gândirea

filosofic~ despre arhitectura din ultimele trei decenii, ci [i practica arhitectural~ \ns~[i.

Mario Botta vorbe[te despre „proiectarea sitului” ca despre o etap~ premerg~toare

edific~rii propriu zise. Este o eliberare a energiilor poten]iale ale locului de viitoare

construc]ie, o str~mutare a lor \n casa ce va fi acolo ridicat~. Nu trebuie s~-i cite[ti pe

Fulcanelli sau pe Louis Charpentier pentru a observa \n fotografiile dedicate

m~n~stirilor din nordul Moldovei sau bisericilor fortificate transilvane, cât de vizibil este

pus \n lumin~ atributul excep]ional al sitului. Articulate cu peisajul, pe care \l

concretizeaz~ \n noduri de energie vizual~, edificiile acestea invit~ la l~rgirea

doar pentru a-si justificaexisten]a lor

„parazitând” pe cOpera, opera \n stare pur~, g

only as a means to jtheir “parasitic” relationship t

15

citadels followed this “tectonic” logic, according to which the settlement extended

according to the line forces of the landscape. It is precisely such photographs taken from

the high that make visible the “fair” character of the sites chosen for these citadels. This

was a necessary feature, and was requested exactly in these terms by Leon Battista Alberti

in his ten books about the art of construction: the site was supposed to be “visible from all

sides.” But most of all, and we can say this both in light of the whole discussion above

about visibility and also when watching ßtefan Petrescu’s photographs, the site had to be

visible from above.

This way of writing on the site, which is meant to extract from it, like an ore, its

concealed beauty, is the feature one appreciates most in medieval architecture when

pondering nostalgically over its uniqueness. What was once an instinct guiding the choices

of sites is now gone; learning anew this art has been an ongoing process for many decades,

and the results have not always been very relevant. Many of the photographs in the

present album dedicated to contemporary Romanian cities witness the crisis in the

relationship between buildings and sites, a crisis triggered off mostly by modern

architecture in its East European communist version.

***

A whole literature dedicated to sites has influenced not only philosophical thinking

on architecture in the last three decades but architectural practice itself. Mario Botta speaks

about the “designing of the site” as the step preceding the erection of the edifice itself.

This is meant as a release of the potential energies of the site of the future construction and

as a way of transfering them to the house that is to be erected there. One does not need

to have read the works of Fulcanelli or Louis Charpentier to notice, in the photographs

dedicated to the monasteries in the north of Moldavia or to Transylvania’s fortified

e ceea ce conteaz~ „cu adev~rat”:, genuin~.

o justifyp to what “really” counts,

i.e. the work of art,the pure and genuine work of art.

16

panoramei, la m~rirea altitudinii de la care faci fotografia, tocmai pentru a-i d~rui

privitorului cât mai mult din aceast~ (\n)scriere \n peisaj.

Alteori, nu doar linia sinuoas~ a zidurilor, ci [i jocul aproape derutant al

acoperi[urilor dramatizeaz~ [i mai mult locul fotografiat. Ori, poate, dimpotriv~:

peisajul „slab” este centrat printr-un punct de for]~, de felul Turnului Chindiei de la

Târgoviste sau, de ce nu, al unora dintre ansamblurile hoteliere de pe litoralul M~rii

Negre. Autorul nu se sfie[te s~ prezinte \n \ntreaga sa multiplicitate acest raport dintre

zidire [i peisaj. O face producând serii de imagini, \n care ]ine pe rând partea naturii,

apoi pe aceea a arhitecturii, pentru a \ncheia prezentând \ngem~narea - nu rareori

conflictual~ - dintre ele.

Sunt izbutite acele fotografii unde nu se d~ o (singur~) solu]ie \ncle[t~rii dintre

„natur~” [i „cultur~”. Nu este clar, de pild~, \n ce m~sur~ barajele au sistematizat

natura acolo unde au ap~rut sau, dimpotriv~, au tulburat-o doar. Astfel „dez-scrise”

\n fotografii, barajele par a fi consumate de c~tre peisaj, ca o cezur~ care instituie o

nou~ tensiune \n scandarea frazei. Faptul c~ „sus” exist~ atâta ap~, iar „jos” ea

lipse[te, poate fi - [i chiar este - expresiv din punct de vedere al fotografiei \nse[i. Dar

m~ \ntreb \n ce m~sur~ asemenea contribu]ie a omului la peisaj nu este subminat~ de

\ntreaga istorie post-belic~ a transform~rii (cite[te: siluirii) naturii \n vederea

„supunerii” ei triumfaliste. Cu alte cuvinte: \n fotografii ca acestea sau precum aceea

a Casei Republicii [i a Bulevardului Victoriei Socialismului din Bucure[ti, ceea ce este

tragic si traumatic se estompeaz~ \n favoarea a ceea ce este „prezentabil” din punct

de vedere strict vizual.

Or, \nc~ mai l~muritoare [i mai interesante sunt acele fotografii, pe care le-am

citat deja, cele \n care peisaj [i zidire se \ntreab~ [i \[i r~spund una celeilalte, iar artistul

C~ci domnia sa,ca fotograf profesionist,

[i-a proiectat a

But Stefan Petrescu,a professional p

projected his work in a very c

17

churches, how well the exceptional attribute of the site is highlighted. Conjoined with the

landscape, which they render concrete in knots of visual energy, these edifices prompt one

to enlarge the panorama and increase the height from which one takes the photograph,

so that one might offer the viewer as much as possible of these inscriptions on the

landscape.

Sometimes it is not only the sinuous lines of the walls but also the almost

confusing play of the roofs that render the photographed sites even more dramatic. Some

other times, the opposite is true: the “weak” landscape is given a strong centre by a force

point of the kind of the Chindia Tower in Târgovi[te, or maybe by one of the hotels on the

Black Sea Coast. The author does not shy away from presenting this report between

buildings and landscapes in its whole complexity. He does this by producing whole series

of images, in which he in turn sides with nature, with architecture, and finally with both -

when he presents their offer conflictual conjunction.

The most successful photographs are those where no, or no singular, solution

is given to the struggle between “nature” and “culture.” It is not clear, for instance,

to what extent dams in Romania regulated nature or only troubled it. Thus

“described” in photographs, the dams seem to be consumed by their landscapes and

function like a caesura that creates new tension in the chanting of a phrase. The fact

that there is so much water “above,” while “below” it is totally missing, maybe, and

I would say it really is, highly expressive from the point of view of the photograph itself.

But I wonder if such contributions of man to landscape are not undermined by

Romania’s long post-war history of transforming (or rather raping) nature with a view

to “subjecting” it in triumph. To put it otherwise, in photographs like these or like in

those of the People’s House or the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism in Bucharest

t ac]iunea - \ntr-un mod, de altfel,extrem de angajat,

photographer,

y committed way,

18

asist~ - deloc neutru, ci mai degrab~ \n felul corului antic, intervenind atunci când

trebuie spre a puncta clipele de tensiune ale tragediei - la acest dialog. Unele dintre

fotografiile problematice dezv~luie [i afirm~, altele se mir~ sau interogheaz~ la rândul

lor, din subtext dac~ nu direct.

çn diversitatea ipostazelor urbane, a peisajelor, a stilurilor [i a raporturilor

reciproce dintre ceea ce se afl~ jos [ade interesul „personajelor” fotografiate de ßtefan

Petrescu. Dac~ exist~ ceva cu adev~rat excep]ional [i unic \n România v~zut~ din zborul

p~s~rii de c~tre autor, aceasta este tocmai diversitatea ei \ncânt~toare. Faptul c~ am

avut cu to]ii dificult~]i \n a sorta fotografiile [i a le organiza dup~ criterii mai mult sau

mai pu]in estetice este \nc~ o dovad~ a acestei diversit~]i. Ea e d~t~toare de speran]e,

pentru c~, \n pluralitatea exemplar~ a trecutului, a[teapt~ s~ fie descoperite resursele

pentru - la fel de diverse - fa]etele posibile ale viitorului nostru.

Asemenea lucr~ri se dovedesc a fi d~t~toare de speran]~ [i de energie, chiar

dac~ autorii lor nu-[i vor fi propus cu necesitate un mesaj optimist „subliminal”. Iat~

de ce \nchei afirmând c~ România arat~ nesperat de bine de sus, a[a, privit~ din zborul

propriei pas~ri de fier de c~tre ßtefan Petrescu. Nu mai r~mâne, a[adar, „decât” sa

\ndrept~m ceea ce e de \ndreptat \n România de aici, de jos.

anume zburânddeasupra obiectului fo t

namely flying over the object

in a way which in fact invites interpre

what is tragic and traumatic fades in front of what is, from a strictly visual point of

view, quite “presentable.”

From this perspective, I see as more enlightening and interesting the photographs,

already mentioned above, in which landscapes and buildings ask each other questions and

answer to each other, while the artist is part of the dialogue. He is not, however, a neutral

partner, but functions rather in the fashion of the choir of ancient tragedy, cutting in when

necessary in order to highlight the most tensioned points in the plot. Some of the more

problematic photographs also reveal and make statements, while others show surprise or

ask questions, indirectly if not directly.

It is in the diversity of the urban aspects, landscapes, styles, and mutual reports

between what exists below that one can find the main interest of the “characters”

photographed by ßtefan Petrescu. If there really is something exceptional and unique in

Romania seen from a birds’ eye view by the author, that thing is this charming diversity.

The fact that we have all had difficulties in sorting out the photographs and organizing

them according to more or less aesthetic criteria is further proof of this diversity. This

diversity is also a source of hope, because in the exemplary plurality of the past, the

resources for possible and just as diverse futures may still be discovered.

Such works like this one give one hope and energy, even though their authors may

not have necessarily intended for them a “subliminal” optimistic message. This is why I

would like to say by way of conclusion that Romania looks unexpectedly well when

watched from above with ßtefan Petrescu’s bird’s eye. The only thing that still remains to

be done is fixing whatever needs fixing here, in Romania below.

19

o tografiei viitoare,\ntr-un fel care invit~ la interpretare.

of a future photography retation.

PPeeiissaajj [[ii aa[[eezzaarreeSites and Landscapes

23

MMuunn]]iiii BBuucceeggii,, iarna.

TThhee BBuucceeggii MMoouunnttaaiinnss inwinter time.

MMuunn]]iiii FF~~gg~~rraa[[.. Sunt cei mai\nal]i din România [i \[i

mascheaz~ s~lb~ticia sub albullini[tit al z~pezii. Ne afl~m \n

zona lacului Bâlea, la peste2000 m altitudine.

TThhee FF~~gg~~rraa[[.. White snow coversquietly the wilderness of the

highest mountains in Romania.We are in the area of the BâleaLake, at a height of over 2000

meters.

24

MMuunn]]iiii BBuucceeggii. Legendele spunc~ aici vechii traci \[i practicauritualurile sacre dedicate cultuluizeului Zamolxes.

TThhee BBuucceeggii MMoouunnttaaiinnss.According to the legend, this iswhere the ancient Thraciansperformed their sacred ritualsdedicated to their supreme god,Zamolxes.

25

MMuunn]]iiii BBuucceeggii cu VârfulCaraiman (2 284 m) [i Vârful

Co[tila (2 489 m).Crucea Eroilor a fost realizat~din ini]iativa Reginei Maria, \n

memoria eroilor c~zu]i \n luptelede pe Valea Prahovei \n timpul

primului r~zboi mondial. Areaproximativ 30 m \n~l]ime [i

este situat~ pe platforma de peßaua Mare a Caraimanului, la o

altitudine de 2 291 m.

TThhee BBuucceeggii MMoouunnttaaiinnss. TheCaraiman (2 284 m) and the

Co[tila Peaks (2 489 m).The Heroes’ Cross was erectedon Queen Maria’s initiative tocelebrate the memory of the

heroes who died in the battlesfought in the Prahova Valley

during World War I. It is 30 mtall and is situated on the plateau

of the Caraiman Mountain, at aheight of 2 291m.

PPooiiaannaa BBrraa[[oovv. Situat~ lapoalele Masivului

Post~varu (1 030 m), nudeparte de ora[ul Bra[ov,

este cea mai \n vog~sta]iune de schi a

momentului.

PPooiiaannaa BBrraa[[oovv. It issituated at the foot of

the Post~varu Mountain(1 030 m), not far from

the city of Bra[ov. PoianaBra[ov is Romania's most

fashionable ski resort.

PPooiiaannaa BBrraa[[oovv.. Vedereasupra pârtiilor de schi.

Cu grade de dificultate [idot~ri diferite, sunt

potrivite atât pentru copiicât [i pentru avansa]i.

PPooiiaannaa BBrraa[[oovv. View ofthe ski slopes. Slopes forchildren, beginners and

experienced skiers are allavailable.

SSiinnaaiiaa. Supranumit~„Perla Carpa]ilor”, estesituat~ la poalelemuntelui Furnica. Pân~ \nanii ‘40, Sinaia a fost unloc agreat deprotipendada epocii [i deanturajul familiei regale.

SSiinnaaiiaa. Nicknamed "ThePearl of the Carpathians",is situated at the foot ofthe Furnica Mountain.Before the 1940s, Sinaiawas the favouritedestination of Romania'sroyalty and high society.

29

VVuullccaanniiii NNoorrooiioo[[ii – un fenomenunic \n Europa.Situa]i \n Carpa]ii de Curbur~,nu departe de ora[ul Buz~u,Vulcanii Noroio[i sunt ni[tecratere de dimensiuni diferite,ce se ridic~ din solul argilos deculoare g~lbuie. La luminasoarelui, toata zona cap~t~reflexe metalice. Mirosul depetrol [i zgomotul sec al bulelorde gaz care ies la suprafa]~ audat na[tere multor legende [isupersti]ii prin care locuitoriiregiunii au \ncercat s~ expliceaceasta ciud~]enie a naturii.

TThhee MMuuddddyy VVoollccaannooeess – a uniquephenomenon in Europe.Situated at the curvature of theCarpathians, not far from the townof Buz~u, the Muddy Volcanoesare craters of varying size andshape rising up in the yellowargillaceous soil. In the sunlight,the area acquires a metallic aspect.The smell of oil and the stiflednoise of the gas bubbles comingout to the surface have given riseto many a legend and superstitionby means of which the locals havetried to explain away this strangenatural phenomenon.

DDrruummuull este martorul t~cut altuturor evenimentelor majore

din urbe. Drumul nu are cap~t,nu este finit: vie]ile tuturor se

presar~ de-a lungul unordrumuri. Coloan~ vertebral~ a

unei vie]i, drumul poart~ cusine, pân~ la urm~, obsesia unei

posibile deveniri. Simbol alcuceritorului – drumul roman –este asociat ast~zi cu civiliza]ia

[i confortul.

TThhee rrooaadd is a silent witness ofthe major events in the town.

The road is endless, it is infinite;everybody’s life follows one

road or another. The very spineof one’s life, the road carries

with it, after all, the obsessionof virtuality. Once a symbol of

the conqueror - the Romanroad - roads are associated

nowadays with civilization andcomfort.

30

ççnnttoorrssuurraa BBuuzzaauulluuii.. ValeaBuz~ului are o particularitate

deosebit~: râul face un cot deaproape 1800 . Localitatea ce se

afl~ aici se nume[te, fire[te,çntorsura Buzaului.

ÎÎnnttoorrssuurraa BBuuzz~~uulluuii.. The Buz~uValley is peculiar in that the

river bends almost 1800. Thetown situated here is called, as

one would expect, ÎntorsuraBuz~ului ("The Buz~u Bend").

CCeettaatteeaa PPooiieennaarrii.. Pe defileulArge[ului se afl~ CetateaPoienari, de care este legatnumele lui Vlad ¥epe[,legendarul domnitor al ¥~riiRomâne[ti.

TThhee FFoorrttrreessss ooff PPooiieennaarrii.. TheArge[ Valley shelters theFortress of Poienari, which isassociated with the name ofVlad ¥epe[, the legendaryprince of Walachia.

32

34

BBaarraajjuull VViiddrraarruu.. Lacul de acumulareVidraru este situat pe râul Arge[ [i aresuprafa]a de 870 ha [i lungimea de 14km. Barajul Vidraru, cu o \n~l]ime depeste 160 m a fost la momentulinaugurarii, al cincilea \n Europa [i alnou~lea \n lume \ntre construc]iilesimilare.

TThhee VViiddrraarruu DDaamm. The Vidraru Lake issituated on the Arge[ River. Its surface is870 hectares and has a length of 14 km.The Vidraru Dam, over 160 m high, was,when inaugurated, the fifth biggest damin Europe and the ninth in the world.

RRââuull MMuurree[[.. Moliciunea cursului s~u ainfluen]at [i muzica [i rostirea din aceazon~: meandrele râului s-au r~sfrânt [i

în felul de a comunica al coregionalilor,\n ethosul popular.

TThhee MMuurreess RRiivveerr.. The slow winding ofthe Mures River influenced the music

and the language in that area” themeanders of the river are also

symbolically reflected in the way inwhich the locals express themselves, in

the folk ethos.”

AAmmpprreenntteellee iissttoorriieeiiTraces of history

38

TTrroopphhaaeeuumm TTrraaiiaannii.. Impresionantulmonument a fost construit \n cinstea\mparatului Traian, \n anii 106-109.Astfel a fost omagiat~ victoria\mp~ratului din anul 102 \mpotrivacoali]iei format~ din geto-daci, buri [isarma]i.

TTrroopphhaaeeuumm TTrraaiiaannii.. The impressivemonument was built between A.D.106–109 to honour Emperor Trajan’svictory, in 102, against a coalition ofGaetaes, Dacians, Burs and Sarmatians.

RRuuiinneellee ddee llaa EEnniissaallaa. Pe locul unde s-auaflat a[ez~ri traco-getice, iar mai apoi

un castru roman, a fost ridicat~ o cetatebizantin~: Heracleea. Ref~cut~ de

genovezi \n secolul al XIII-lea, a asiguratcomer]ul din zona strategic~ a gurilor

Dun~rii.

TThhee rruuiinnss ooff EEnniissaallaa.. A Byzantine fortressby the name of Heracleea was built on

the original location of Thracian andGaetae settlements and of the later

Roman fort. Rebuilt by the Genovese inthe 13th century, it made possible tradein the strategic area of the mouths of

the Danube River.

40

CCeettaatteeaa RRââ[[nnoovv.. Consemnat~ dedocumente \n anul 1355. Dup~

zeci de asedii, fort~rea]a a cedatasediului o singur~ dat~, \n anul

1612, din cauza lipsei de ap~.Acest neajuns a fost \nl~turat

dup~ ce a fost s~pat~ o fântân~adânc~ de peste 150 m,

existent~ [i ast~zi. Legendaspune c~ aceasta a fost realizat~de doi prizonieri turci, ca pre] al

liberta]ii.

TThhee RRââ[[nnoovv ffoorrttrreessss.. Themassive ruins of the fortress,

whose existence is documentedas early as 1355. Withstanding

countless sieges, the fortresscapitulated only once, in 1612,when water supplies were usedup. The remedy to this problemwas a 150 m. deep well, which

exists to this day. The legendhas it that the well was dug by

two Turkish prisoners inexchange for their liberty.

42

CCeettaatteeaa SSuucceevveeii..Vestigiile cet~]ii medievale

evoc~ personalitatea voievoduluißtefan cel Mare. Sub domnia

lui, cetatea, care fuseseconstruit~ de Petru Mu[at(1374-1391), a devenit oelegant~ curte princiar~.

Restaurat~ cu aproximativ 40 deani \n urm~, fort~rea]a [i-a mai

p~strat patru dintre turnurile deap~rare.

TThhee FFoorrttrreessss ooff SSuucceeaavvaa.The vestiges of the medieval

fortress of Suceava call to mindthe personality of Prince

Stephen the Great. Under hisreign, the fortress, which had

been built by Petru Mu[at(1374–1391), became an

elegant princely court. Only thefour defence towers have been

preserved from this fortress,which was restored about 40

years ago.

45

CCeettaatteeaa NNeeaamm]]. Una dintre celemai importante cet~]i aleMoldovei medievale. Situat~ pedealul Ple[ului, \n apropiere deora[ul Târgu-Neam]. Construit~\ntre 1382 [i 1387 de voievodulPetru I Mu[at, \n epoca \n care \nMoldova ap~reau primele cet~]ide piatr~. çnt~rit~ de ßtefan celMare, cetatea nu a fost niciodat~cucerit~. Ulterior a fost transformat~ \nm~n~stire (secolul al XVII-lea), [i[i-a pierdut definitiv importan]apolitic~ [i militar~ la \nceputulsecolul al XVIII-lea.

TThhee FFoorrttrreessss ooff NNeeaamm]] is one ofthe most important fortresses inmedieval Moldavia. It is situated onthe Ple[ului hill, near the town ofTârgu-Neam]. It was builtbetween 1382 and 1387 by PrincePetru I Mu[at (1375–1391) at thetime when the first stone fortresseswere built in Moldavia. Fortified byStephen the Great (1457–1504),this citadel was never conquered.Transformed into a monastery inthe 17th century, the fortress ofNeam] lost its military and politicalimportance only at the beginningof the 18th century.

46

BBiieerrttaann.. çn localitatea Biertan (jud. Sibiu),atestat~ documentar \nc~ din anul 1283,

se afl~ una dintre cele mai puternicecet~]i ]~r~ne[ti s~se[ti din Transilvania.

çntregul ansamblu fortificat, cuprinde treiincinte \nt~rite cu [ase turnuri [i trei

bastioane de ap~rare. Construit~ \ntreanii 1490-1522, cetatea a suferit unele

transform~ri \n secolul al XVII-lea. Primaincint~ era prev~zut~ cu un zid de

aproape 12 m, [apte turnuri (dintre carepatru au fost distruse \n 1704 \n urma

asediului curu]ilor) [i bastioane.

BBiieerrttaann.. In the old village of Biertan (theSibiu district), which is documented asearly as 1283, there stands one of thestrongest Saxon peasant fortresses inTransylvania. The fortified ensemble

includes three fortified enclosures withsix defence towers and three bastions.Built between 1490-1522, the fortressunderwent various transformations in

the 17th century. The first enclosure wassurrounded by a 12 meter wall and had

seven towers (four of which weredestroyed in 1704, during the Curu]i

siege) and bastions.

PPrreejjmmeerr.. Dintre toate bisericilefortificate \ntemeiate de sa[i \n

secolul al XV-lea, cea maiimpresionant~ prin grosimea

zidurilor incintei [i prin \n~l]imeaturnurilor de ap~rare este cea

de la Prejmer, situat~ \napropiere de Bra[ov. Cl~dirile

din interiorul cet~]ii sunt alipitede zidurile incintei [i au trei sau

patru niveluri, totalizând 272\nc~peri legate \ntre ele prin

sc~ri [i c~m~ri \n care eraustocate proviziile pe timpul

asediului.

TThhee CChhuurrcchh ooff PPrreejjmmeerr.. Amongthe fortified churches founded bythe Saxons in the 15th century, the

one that most impresses theviewer by the thickness of its

surrounding walls and the heightof its defence towers is the

Church of Prejmer, near the cityof Bra[ov. The buildings insidethe citadel are adjoined to the

walls of the enclosure and havethree or four levels. They have a

total of 272 rooms, all connectedby stairs; many of these were

used as storing places forsupplies during a siege.

48

HH~~rrmmaann.. Biserica \n stil romanic(1280-1290), construit~ dec~lug~rii cistercieni, a fostref~cut~ ulterior \n stil gotic. çnjurul bisericii s-a construit(1500-1520) o puternic~ cetate]~r~neasc~, alc~tuit~ dintr-oincint~ cu ziduri de 5 mgrosime [i 12 m \n~l]ime,\nconjurate cu [an]uri adânci,str~juite de [ase bastioane.Dup~ distrug~torul incendiudin 1593, biserica a fostsupus~ unor ample refaceri,dobândind aspectul actual.

TThhee CChhuurrcchh ooff HH~~rrmmaann. ThisRomanic church was built by theCistercian monks (1280-1290)and was later rebuilt in theGothic style. A strong peasantfortress was erected around thechurch between 1500 and 1520.The enclosure has walls that are5 m thick and 12 m high, issurrounded by deep moats, andis defended by six bastions. Afterthe fire that almost destroyed itin 1539, the church underwentimportant changes, acquiring itspresent aspect.

CCeettaatteeaa FF~~gg~~rraa[[.. Situat~ \ninima ora[ului cu acela[inume, a fost ridicat~ \n anul1310 de prin]ul maghiarLadislau Apor. Ini]ial a avutun rol pur strategic.Transformat~ \n castel \ntresecolele XV – XVIII \n stilulRena[terii transilvanene.Mult timp, castelul a servitca loc de \nt\lnire pentru[edin]ele Dietei dinTransilvania. çntre 1948-1960, cetatea F~g~ra[ afost folosit~ de autorit~]ilecomuniste ca penitenciarpentru de]inu]ii politici.Ast~zi g~zduie[te Muzeul¥~rii F~g~ra[ului [iBiblioteca Municipal~. SalaDietei s-a transformat, dup~reamenajare, \n biseric~greco-catolic~.

OOrraa[[uull OOrr~~[[ttiiee a \mplinit, \nanul 1999, 775 de ani de

atestare documentar~. Cinevede ast~zi cochetul [i

patriarhalul ora[, cu greu \[ipoate imagina c~ peste elau trecut invazii, r~zboaie,

lupte interne, molime [idictatura comunist~.

OOrr~~[[ttiiee.. In 1999, the towncelebrated the 775th

anniversary of itsdocumented existence. The

present-day visitor of thischic, patriarchal town canhardly imagine that it has

withstood countlessinvasions, wars, internal

fights, and diseases, as wellas the Communist rule.

TThhee FFoorrttrreessss ooff FF~~gg~~rraa[[,situated at the heart of thetown of F~g~ra[, waserected in 1310 by theHungarian Prince LadislauApori. Initially, the fortresshad only a strategic role.Between the 15th and 17th

centuries, it wastransformed into a castle inthe TransylvanianRenaissance style. For along time, the castlehoused the meetings of theTransylvanian Diet. Between1948 and 1969, the fortresswas used by theCommunist authorities as apenitentiary for politicalprisoners. Nowadays, thecastle houses the Museumof the F~g~ra[ Land and theMunicipal Library. The hallof the Transylvanian Diethas been transformed intoa Greek-Catholic church.

CCeettaatteeaa PPooiieennaarrii (secolul al XIV-lea) este situat~ pe cursulsuperior al Arge[ului. çnal]at~ peun pinten stâncos al munteluiCet~]uia, la ea se ajunge urcândcele 1425 de trepte. Pe ele autrecut pa[ii domnitorilor Negru-Vod~ [i ai lui Vlad ¥epe[.

TThhee FFoorrttrreessss ooff PPooiieennaarrii (14th

century) is situated on theupper Arge[ River. Erected on acliff of the Cet~]uia Mountain,the fortress can be reached byclimbing the 1425 steps of therocky stairs, once also troddenby Prince Negru-Vod~ and thefamous and controversial Vlad¥epe[.

SSlliimmnniicc. Cetatea Stolzemburg afost construit~ de sa[i \n secolul

al XIV-lea. çn secolul al XV-lea,pe locul capelei gotice, s-a

ridicat o bazilic~ impun~toare.Turcii nu au reu[it s~ o ocupe

niciodat~. çn schimb, a fostdevastat~ de cetele curu]ilor

(neme[ii maghiari condu[i deprincipele Francisc Rakoczy)

r~scula]i \mpotriva habsburgilor.

SSlliimmnniicc. The Fortress ofStolzemburg was built by theSaxons in the 14th century. In

the 15th century an impressivebasilica was erected on the site

of the former Gothic chapel.The fortress never fell to the

Turks. It was devastated,however, by the Curu]i (the

Hungarian troops led by princeFrancisc Rakoczy), when they

revolted against the Habsburgs.

CCaasstteelluull BBrraann.. Situat la 30 kmde Bra[ov, \ntre mun]ii Bucegi [iPiatra Craiului, Castelul Braneste un punct de reper alturismului din România. El estelegat de legenda conteluiDracula. çn anul 1920, castelul afost donat de Consiliulor~[enesc al Bra[ovului, RegineiMaria, ca semn de recuno[tin]~pentru contribu]ia sa la\nf~ptuirea Marii Uniri de la 1Decembrie 1918. çn anul 1948,este preluat de statul comunist[i devastat. Abia din 1956 estepar]ial vizitabil [i deschis camuzeu.

TThhee BBrraann ccaassttllee is situatedbetween the Bucegi and thePiatra Craiului Mountains, 30km away from Bra[ov, and isone of the landmark Romaniantouristic attractions. The BranCastle is associated with thelegend of Prince Dracula. In1920 the Castle was donatedby the Town Council of Bra[ovto Queen Maria, as a taken ofgratitude for her contribution tothe Great Union on Decemberthe 1st, 1918. In 1948, thecastle was taken over by theCommunist authorities andcompletely devastated. It wasonly in 1956 that the castle waspartially reopened to visitorsand established as a Museum.

55

CCaasstteelluull HHuunniiaazziilloorrA fost construit de Iancu de Hunedoara (1387-1456) pe locul uneivechi cet~]i de ap~rare din secolul al XIV-lea. Edificiul îmbin~ stilulgotic cu cel renascentist [i baroc [i este transformat actualmente \nmuzeu, fiind accesibile vizitatorilor, printre altele, Sala Cavalerilor,Sala Dietei, Capela [i Loggia Matei.

TThhee HHuunniiaadd CCaassttlleeIt was built by Iancu of Hunedoara (1387-1456) on the place of anold fortress, dating from the 14th century. The edifice combines threestyles: Gothic, Renessance and Baroque. Nowdays the visitors may seehere, among others, the Knights Hall, the Diet Hall, the Chapel andthe Matei Loggia.

SSiinnaaiiaa.. CCoommpplleexxuull PPeellee[[..Trecutul palatului Pele[, construit \ntre1873-1914, este strâns legat de istoriafamiliei regale române. Palatul, ce\mbina mai multe stiluri, dup~ modaromantic~ a timpului, a fost construit \napropiere de m~n~stirea Sinaia deRegele Carol I de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen [i de so]ia sa, ReginaElisabeta. çn saloanele palatului au fostprimi]i numero[i oameni de cultur~ aiepocii.Transformat \n muzeu \n 1953, apoi\nchis timp de mul]i ani \n epocacomunismului, castelul este ast~zideschis publicului larg.

SSiinnaaiiaa.. TThhee PPeellee[[ CCoommpplleexx.The past of the Pele[ castle, erectedbetween 1873 and 1914, is closelyconnected to the history of the RomanianRoyal Family. The palace, which combinesseveral architectural styles in the Romanticfashion of the time, was built by KingCarol I Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and hiswife, Queen Elisabeth, not far from themonastery of Sinaia. The palace hallswelcomed numerous cultural personalitiesof the epoch. The palace became amuseum in 1953 and was later closed forseveral years. Nowadays, the castle isopen to the public.

57

SSeemmnneellee ccrreeddiinn]]eeiiSigns of faith

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa SSuucceevvii]]aa..Conceput~ ca o m~n~stire fortificat~ – [inecropol~ \n acela[i timp – Sucevi]a afost \n~l]at~ dup~ moartea lui ßtefan celMare (1591) de c~tre Gheorghe Movil~,mitropolit de R~d~u]i, [i de fra]ii luiIeremia Movil~, domnitor al Moldovei.De mari propor]ii, biserica se \nal]~ \nmijlocul unei incinte fortificate de form~dreptunghiular~, cu turnuri de ap~rarela cele patru col]uri. Zidurile incintei suntconstruite din blocuri mari de piatr~.Turnul-clopotni]~, de form~dreptunghiular~, este situat \n parteanord-vestic~ a bisericii; este cel maiputernic din cele patru turnuri.

TThhee SSuucceevvii]]aa MMoonnaasstteerryy.Designed as a fortified monastery andnecropolis, Sucevi]a was built byGheorghe Movil~, the R~d~u]i bishop,and by the brothers of Ieremia Movil~,the prince of Moldavia, in 1591, manyyears after the death of Stephen theGreat. A large church (100 m by 104 m) standsin the centre of a rectangular fortifiedprecinct, with defence towers in thefour corners. The precinct walls are builtof stone blocks. The belfry, also ofrectangular shape, is located on thenorth-western side of the church and isthe strongest of the four towers.

61

BBiisseerriiccaa mm~~nn~~ssttiirriiii SSuucceevvii]]aa..Renumit~ pentru frumuse]ea [i

bog~]ia picturii murale exterioare.

TThhee cchhuurrcchh ooff tthhee SSuucceevvii]]aa mmoonnaasstteerryyit is famous for the beauty andrichness of its exterior frescoes.

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MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa PPuuttnnaa (1466-1469).A fost ctitorit~ \n 1469 de voievodulßtefan cel Mare ca necropol~domneasc~.Supus~ atacurilor cazacilor [i polonezilor\n secolul al XVII-lea, arhitecturam~n~stirii a fost transformat~ \ndecursul timpului, prin ad~ugarea uneiincinte de piatr~, prev~zut~ cu un turnde ap~rare [i prin elemente de stilbaroc. Biserica are o lungime de 37 m [i 11 ml~rgime, ziduri groase [i un acoperi[\nalt (33 m) cu o form~ specific~regiunii.

TThhee PPuuttnnaa MMoonnaasstteerryy (1466-1469).The monastery was founded in 1469 byPrince Stephen the Great as a princelynecropolis. Constantly threatened byRussian and Polish attacks in the 17th

century, the monastery had to changeits architecture throughout the years: astone precinct with a defence towerwas added, as well as various Baroqueelements.The church is 37 m long and 11 mwide. It has got thick walls and a 33-meter-tall roof whose shape is typicalfor this region.

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MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa MMoollddoovvii]]aa.Ca [i Vorone]ul, Moldovi]a a conservat

[i ea \n condi]ii bune, culorile vii alefrescelor. Construit~ \n 1532, sub

domnia lui Petru Rare[, m~n~stirea afost fortificat~ \n a doua jum~tate a

secolului al XVI-lea cu un turn masiv [iziduri groase de ap~rare.

TThhee MMoollddoovvii]]aa MMoonnaasstteerryy.Together with Vorone], Moldovi]a is the

monastery where the vivid colours ofthe frescoes have been best preserved.

Built in 1532, under Petru Rare[, themonastery was fortified in the secondhalf of the 16th century with a massive

tower and thick defence walls.

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa HHuummoorr..Humor este biserica unei vechim~n~stiri \ntemeiate depaharnicul Teodor Bubuiog \n1530. Frescele exterioare, \ncare domin~ nuan]ele de ro[u,au fost executate \n 1535.Celebr~ prin picturile murale aretema „AsediulConstantinopolului”.

TThhee HHuummoorr MMoonnaasstteerryy..Humor is the church of an oldmonastery founded by cup-bearer Teodor Bubuiog in 1530.The outer frescoes, where redtinges predominate, werepainted in 1535. The church isfamous for its frescoesdepicting "The Siege ofConstantinople."

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa DDrraaggoommiirrnnaa,compus dintr-un schit [i o

biseric~ mare, este unul din celemai importante din Moldova. A

fost \ntemeiat \ntre 1602 [i1609 de Anastasie Crimca,

mitropolit de R~d~u]i, ulteriormitropolit al Moldovei, una din

marile personalit~]i ale vie]iiculturale din Moldova.

Biserica a fost fortificat~ \n 1627de domnitorul Miron BarnovschiMovil~, cu un zid de ap~rare cu

contraforturi [i cu turnuri destraj~.

TThhee DDrraaggoommiirrnnaa MMoonnaasstteerryyincludes a smaller and a largerchurch and is one of the mostimportant in Moldavia. It was

founded between 1602 and 1609by the R~d~u]i MetropolitanAnastasie Crimca, who laterbecame the metropolitan of

Moldavia and was one of thegreatest cultural personalities of

the time in Moldavia. The churchwas fortified in 1627 by Prince

Miron Barnovschi Movil~ with adefence wall with buttresses and

guard towers.

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66

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa DDeeaalluu din apropierea ora[ului Târgovi[te a fost unul dinmarile centre culturale ale Evului Mediu. Din complexul monahalgrec ini]ial a r~mas doar biserica \ntemeiat~ de Radu cel Mare(1499-1501). çn interior a fost depus \ntr-o cript~ capul voeivoduluiMihai Viteazul, t~iat \n anul 1601. Sub conducerea celebruluivoievod, m~n~stirea a asigurat \n 1595 ap~rarea cet~]ii Târgovi[te,atacat~ de trupele lui Sinan Pa[a.

TThhee DDeeaalluu MMoonnaasstteerryy, near Târgovi[te, was one of the greatestcultural centres of the Middle Ages. It was here that in 1508,Macarie, the chronicler, printed one of the first documents in theRomanian language. From the original Greek monastic complex,only one church, founded by Radu the Great (1499-1501), has beenpreserved. Inside, a crypt contains the head of Prince Michael theBrave, who was executed in 1601. Under the command of thisfamous Romanian prince, the monastery secured the defence ofTârgovi[te in 1595 against Sinan Pasha’s troops.

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa DDiinnttrr--uunn LLeemmnn a fostconstruit~ \n secolul al XVI-lea \ntr-o vale

pitoreasc~ [i lini[tit~, la marginea uneip~duri seculare de stejari. Legendaatribuie construc]ia m~n~stirii unui

c~lug~r care ar fi \ntemeiat-o \n urmaunui vis \n care i s-a ar~tat Maica

Domnului. Ea l-a \ndemnat s~construiasc~ un l~ca[ de rug~ciune din

trunchiul unui singur stejar.

TThhee OOnnee--WWoooodd MMoonnaasstteerryy was built inthe 16th century in a picturesque and quietvalley, on the edge of a many-century-old

oak forest and against a naturalbackground that has remained

unchanged for centuries.Legend has it that the monastery was

built by a monk who had dreamt ofVirgin Mary urging him to build a worshipplace from the trunk of a single oak tree.

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa SSuurrppaatteellee (1703-1706),zidit~ la \ndemnul so]iei

domnitorului ConstantinBrâncoveanu.

TThhee SSuurrppaatteellee MMoonnaasstteerryy (1703-1706),built on the request of Prince

Constantin Brâncoveanu’s wife.

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MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa CCuurrtteeaa ddee AArrggee[[ [[iiPPaallaattuull EEppiissccooppaall (1886-1890).Biserica episcopal~ Curtea deArge[, cunoscut~ sub numelede m~n~stirea Curtea de Arge[.De numele ei este legat~legenda me[terului Manole.Celebrul zidar al voievoduluiNeagoe Basarab (denumit [iNegru-Vod~) ar fi construit, sespune, cu pre]ul propriei salevie]i [i al vie]ii so]iei sale – zidit~vie \n zidurile bisericii – cel maifrumos edificiu religios dinregiune. Aspectul actual al

bisericii este datorat restaur~rii\ntreprinse de arhitectul francezLecomte du Noüy \ntre 1875 [i1876. Biserica este una dinmarile necropole domne[ti [iregale ale ]~rii: \n pronaos seafl~ criptele fondatorilor s~i,Neagoe Basarab [i Radu de laAfuma]i, precum [i ale primelordou~ cupluri regale aleRomâniei, Carol I [i Elisabeta,Ferdinand [i Maria. çntr-o capel~din apropiere au fost depuse decurând [i r~m~[i]ele p~mânte[tiale regelui Carol al II-lea.

CCuurrtteeaa ddee AArrggee[[ MMoonnaasstteerryy aanndd tthheeEEppiissccooppaall PPaallaaccee (1886-1890). The episcopal church of Curtea deArge[, known as the Monastery ofCurtea de Arge[, is one of the mostbeautiful religious edifices inRomania. Its name is closelyconnected to the legend of MasterManole. Master Manole, thefamous mason of Prince NeagoeBasarab (also called Negru-Vod~), issaid to have built the most beautifulreligious building in the whole area,paying for it with his and his wife’slives. The present-day aspect of thechurch is due to the restoration

work undertaken by Lecomte duNouy, the French architect,between 1875 and 1876. Thechurch is one of the biggestprincely and royal necropolises inthe country. The narthex housesthe crypts of the founders, PrincesNeagoe Basarab and Radu ofAfuma]i, as well as those ofRomania’s first two royal couples-King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth,and King Ferdinand and QueenMaria. In a nearby chapel theearthly remains of King Carol IIhave also recently been laid to rest.

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MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa CCoozziiaa este cea mai vechem~n~stire din ¥ara Româneasc~. Ea a

fost \ntemeiat~ pe Valea Oltului devoievodul Mircea cel B~trân (1387-1388)

a c~rui cript~ se afl~ aici. Tabloul votiv,realizat la câ]iva ani dup~ construc]iam~n~stirii, \l reprezint~ pe Mircea celB~trân \n costumul purtat cu ocazia

particip~rii sale la cruciada de laNicopole din 1396.

Biserica a fost restaurat~ \n 1707 deConstantin Brâncoveanu.

TThhee CCoozziiaa MMoonnaasstteerryy is the oldestmonastery in Wallachia. It was foundedin the Olt River Valley by Prince Mirceathe Elder between 1387 and 1388. He

is also buried in a crypt here. The votivepainting made a few years after the

monastery was erected shows Mirceathe Elder in the garb in which he was

dressed when he participated in theNicopolis crusade of 1396. The church

was restored in 1707 by ConstantinBrâncoveanu.

MM~~nn~~ssttiirreeaa CCeerrnniiccaa.. Complexul monahalCernica este situat la aproximativ 12 kmsud-est de Bucure[ti, \ntr-un cadrupitoresc, la marginea unei \ntinse p~duriseculare. Ansamblul m~n~stiresc are o important~tradi]ie cultural~, dezvoltat~ de-a lungultimpului (cu unele \ntreruperi) prinfunc]ionarea bibliotecii [i tipografiei, a[colii de art~ pictural~ religioas~, aseminarului teologic [i a muzeului de art~religioas~ veche, cu icoane datând dinsecolele al XVIII-lea [i al XIX-lea. Ctitorie aVornicului Cernica, m~n~stirea dec~lug~ri este atestat~ documentar la1608. Dup~ o perioad~ \n care a fostp~r~sit~ datorit~ unei epidemii,m~n~stirea a fost restaurat~ \n 1842 dec~tre Arhimandritul Calinic. Oseminteleacestuia, considerat un sfânt, suntdepuse \n interiorul m~n~stirii, fiind unimportant loc de rugaciune pentrucredincio[ii ortodoc[i. Ast~zi, \n incintam~n~stirii tr~iesc [i muncesc aproximativo sut~ de c~lug~ri.

TThhee CCeerrnniiccaa MMoonnaasstteerryy.. The Cernicamonastic complex is situatedapproximately 12 km south-east ofBucharest, in a picturesque area, on theedge of a century-old forest. Themonastic ensemble has an importantcultural tradition, transmitted almostuninterruptedly through the ages bymeans of a library, a printing press, aschool of religious painting, a theologicalseminary and an old religious artmuseum, which houses icons from the18th and 19th centuries. Built by headman Cernica, the monkmonastery is attested in documents in1608. After a period in which it wasdeserted in the wake of an epidemics,the monastery was restored in 1842 bythe Archimandrite Calinic. His remainsare laid to rest inside the church. As he isconsidered a saint, the monastery hasbecome an important place of worshipfor the devout Orthodox believers. Themonastery now provides shelter toapproximately one hundred monks.

PPeeiissaajjee cciittaaddiinneeCityscapes

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UUnniivveerrssiittaatteeaa „„TTrraannssiillvvaanniiaa““ ddiinn BBrraa[[oovvçn fundal, noul centru civic al ora[ului.

TThhee ““TTrraannssyyllvvaanniiaa”” UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff BBrraassoovvIn the background, the new civic centerof the town.

BBrraa[[oovv.. Vedere general~ acentrului vechi, construit \ntre

secolele XIV – XIX.

BBrraa[[oovv.. View of the old centre,built between the 14th and the

19th centuries.

CClluujj.. Parcul [i cazinoul.

CClluujj.. The Park and the casino.

CClluujj.. Cartierul M~n~[tur.

CClluujj.. The M~n~[tur neighbourhood.

CClluujj.. Catedrala romano-catolic~Sfântul Mihail (1349) [i statuiaecvestr~ (1902) a lui MateiCorvin.

CClluujj.. The Roman-Catholic St. Michael’sCathedral (1349) and the equestrianstatue of Mathias Corvinus (1902).

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SSiigghhii[[ooaarraa, cel mai frumos [i maicomplet ansamblu urban medieval dinRomânia (secolele XIV - XVII). Singuracetate medieval~ din Europa care este\nc~ locuit~.

SSiigghhii[[ooaarraa is Romania’s most beautifuland best preserved medieval town (14th-17th centuries). It is the only medievalcitadel in Europe that is still inhabited.

MMeeddiiaa[[. Pia]a ora[ului [i BisericaSfânta Margareta (secolul al XIV-lea) cu

Turnul Trompe]ilor (1465), \naltde 74 m

MMeeddiiaa[[. The Town Square and theChurch of St. Margaret (14th century)

with the 74 m tall Trumpet Tower(1465).

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TTiimmii[[ooaarraa. Pia]a baroc~ aora[ului, cu Catedrala Ortodox~sârb~ (1744-1748), CatedralaRomano-Catolic~ (1736 -1774),Palatul Baroc (casapre[edintelui, 1733), [iMonumentul Sfânta Treime,realizat la Viena \ntre anii 1739-1740, opera ce domin~ centrulPie]ei Unirii. Monumentul esteun elogiu adus victimelorepidemiilor de cium~ ce aubântuit de mai multe ori ora[ul.

TTiimmii[[ooaarraa. The Baroque square ofthe town with the SerbianOrthodox Cathedral (1744-1748),the Roman-Catholic Cathedral(1736-1774), the Baroque Palace(The President’s House, 1733), andthe Holy Trinity Monument. Themonument was made in Viennabetween 1739 and 1740, andoverlooks the centre of the UniriiSquare. It honours the memory ofthe victims of the plague epidemicsthat ravaged the city several times.

TTiimmii[[ooaarraa. Pia]a Victoriei cucatedrala Sfin]ii Trei Ierarhi. Una

dintre cele mai impresionanteconstruc]ii cultice din România.A fost sfin]it~ \n anul 1946, \nprezen]a M.S. Regele Mihai de

România. La celalalt cap~t alpie]ei, cl~direa Operei. Petreptele catedralei au fost\mpu[ca]i protestatarii din

primele zile ale revolutiei din1989. Din balconul Operei s-a

citit „Proclama]ia de laTimi[oara”, primul document

redactat de revolu]ionari.

TTiimmii[[ooaarraa. The Victory Square and theThree Hierarchs’ Cathedral. The

Cathedral is one of the mostimpressive religious buildings in

Romania. It was hallowed in 1946 inthe presence of his Majesty King

Michael of Romania. At the other endof the square there stands the Opera

House. On the stairs of the Cathedral,peaceful demonstrators were fired atduring the first days of the RomanianRevolution (1989). The first document

drafted by the revolutionaries, theTimi[oara Proclamation, was read

from the balcony of the Opera House.

SSiibbiiuu. Ora[ul a fost \nfiin]at de coloni[tii sa[i \n anul1191. Ast~zi este considerat unul dintre cele maifrumoase ora[e europene, cu zeci de hectare de

situri arhitectonice de o valoare exceptional~.

SSiibbiiuu. The town was founded by Saxon settlers in1191. Nowadays, it is considered one of the most

beautiful European cities, with many buildingsdisplaying extremely valuable architecture.

OOrraaddeeaa, un ora[ c~ruia patina timpului \i spore[tefarmecul. Palatul Prim~riei, Biserica Romano-

Catolic~ Sfântul Ladislau. Biserica cu Lun~,splendide monumente de arhitectur~ medieval~.

OOrraaddeeaa is a town whose charm only grows withtime. The Town Hall, the Roman-Catholic Church of

St. Ladislau, and the Church with the Moon are allsplendid monuments of Medieval architecture.

CCeettaatteeaa DDeevvaa. A fost construit~ \n anul 1269. PeDealul Cet~]ii se g~sesc specii rare de flori. Nu v~gr~bi]i s~ le admira]i frumuse]ea; tot aici \[i facesiesta vara periculoasa viper~ cu corn.

TThhee DDeevvaa ffoorrttrreessss dominates the town bearing thesame name. It was built in 1269. One can find rarespecies of flowers on the Fortress Hill. However, it isnot advisable to rush to admire their beauty: insummer, this is also the territory of the dangerouscorn vipers.

IIaa[[ii. MMiittrrooppoolliiaa MMoollddoovveeii [[iiBBuuccoovviinneeii. Construc]iacatedralei mitropolitane a fostterminat~ \n anul 1887 dup~avataruri care au durat peste 50de ani. Mitropolitul IosifNaniescu a fost cel care a g~sitresursele des~vâr[irii acestuiproiect. Stilul a fost determinatde diferi]ii arhitec]i care aulucrat la proiect: elemente derena[tere târzie [i baroc. Lasfin]irea catedralei a fostprezent M.S. Regele Ferdinandal României. Aici au fost aduse,de la biserica Sfin]ii Trei Ierarhi,moa[tele Cuvioasei Paraschiva,ocrotitoarea Moldovei.

IIaa[[ii.. TThhee MMeettrrooppoolliittaann CChhuurrcchhooff MMoollddaavviiaa aanndd BBuuccoovviinnaa. Theconstruction of this cathedralwas finished only in 1887, afterefforts which had lasted over 50years. It was Metrolitan IosifNaniescu who finally securedthe financial resources tocomplete the project. The styleof the cathedral wasdetermined by the variousarchitects who worked on itsplans: thus, one can find bothlate Renaissance and Baroqueelements. His Majesty KingFerdinand of Romania waspresent when the Cathedralwas hallowed. The remains ofParaschiva the Devout, theProtector of Moldavia, werebrought here from the ThreeHierarchs’ Church.

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IIaa[[ii.. PPaallaattuull CCuullttuurriiii.. Una dintrecapodoperele arhitectului I. D.

Berindei, inaugurat \n anul1926 de M.S. Regele Ferdinand

al României. Stilul romantic \ncare este construit \mbin~

neogoticul cu alte elementebaroce [i art-nouveau. Ast~zi

cl~direa ad~poste[te: Muzeul deIstorie al Moldovei, MuzeulEtnografic, Muzeul de Art~,

Muzeul ßtiin]ei [i Tehnicii„ßtefan Procopiu" [i alte

institu]ii oficiale de cultur~.

IIaa[[ii.. TThhee PPaallaaccee ooff CCuullttuurree isone of the masterpieces of

architect I. D. Berindei. It wasinaugurated in 1926 by KingFerdinand. Its Romantic style

combines the Neo-Gothic withBaroque and Art Nouveau

elements. Nowadays, the Palacehouses the History Museum of

Moldova, the EthnographyMuseum, the "ßtefan Procopiu"

Science and TechnologyMuseum and other official

cultural institutions.

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CCoonnssttaann]]aa. La \nceputulsecolului al XX-lea, principaleleora[e ale litoralului M~rii Negreau \nceput s~ fie animate devia]a monden~. çn 1909 seconstruie[te Cazinoul dinConstan]a, \n stil art-nouveau.A r~mas, pân~ ast~zi, oemblem~ a ora[ului.

CCoonnssttaann]]aa. At the beginning ofthe 20th century, the major citiesof the Black Sea Coast providedthe background for anincreasingly vivid social life. TheConstan]a Casino is an ArtNouveau building. To this day, itis considered the symbol of thetown.

CCoonnssttaann]]aa. Situat \n parteaveche a ora[ului, portul turisticTomis are un farmec deosebit.

Zona este \mpânzit~ de situriarheologice provenite din

antichitatea greco-roman~ [ibizantin~.

CCoonnssttaann]]aa. The charming Tomistouristic harbour is situated inthe old part of the town. Thearea shelters many importantarchaeological sites from the

Greek and Roman antiquity andthe Byzantine period.

BBuuccuurree[[ttiiBucharest

BBuulleevvaarrdduull [[ii PPiiaa]]aa UUnniirriiii cu Palatul Parlamentului\n fundal, a doua cl~dire din lume ca m~rime.

TThhee UUnniirriiii BBoouulleevvaarrdd aanndd tthhee UUnniirriiii SSqquuaarree. In thebackground, one notices the Parliament Palace,the second largest building in the world.

PPiiaa]]aa AAllbbaa--IIuulliiaa [[ii BBuulleevvaarrdduull UUnniirriiii,, construite \nultima perioad~ a dictaturii Ceau[escu, dup~modelul arhitecturii chineze [i nord-coreene.

TThhee AAllbbaa--IIuulliiaa SSqquuaarree aanndd tthhee UUnniirriiii BBoouulleevvaarrdd.These were built in the final years of Ceau[escu’sdictatorship, and are modelled on Chinese andNorth Korean architecture.

SSoosseeaauuaa KKiisseelleeffff,, ccuu AArrccuull ddee TTrriiuummff, \nalt de 27 ma fost ridicat \n 1922, \n memoria victimelor

primului r~zboi mondial [i ca un simbol al victoriei.Construit mai \ntâi \n stuc [i lemn, el a fost

reconstruit din piatr~ \n anii 1935-1936 \n stil neo-clasic. Este un simbol al capitalei.

TThhee KKiisseelleeffff BBoouulleevvaarrdd aanndd tthhee AArrcchh ooff TTrriiuummpphh..The 27 m tall Arch of Triumph was erected in

1922, in the memory of the victims of World War Iand as a symbol of victory. Initially built in stucco

and wood, it was rebuilt in 1935-1936 in the Neo-classical style. It is the emblem of the capital.

CCoommpplleexxuull LLeebb~~ddaa,, fost~m~n~stire [i bolni]~ (spital [i

sanatoriu). çn perioada comunist~biserica a fost demolat~ [i

m~n~stirea transformat~ \n hotel.Se afl~ \ntr-un cadru natural de

excep]ie, pe malul laculuiPantelimon.

TThhee LLeebb~~ddaa CCoommpplleexx used to be amonastery and an infirmary

(hospital and sanatorium). In theCommunist period, the church

was demolished and themonastery was transformed into ahotel. It is situated in a remarkablenatural surrounding, on the shore

of Lake Pantelimon.

BBuuccuurree[[ttii. PPaarrccuull CCaarrooll cu mausoleulfrunta[ilor Partidului ComunistRomân [i monumentul Erouluinecunoscut din r~zboiul \ntregirii(1916-1918).

BBuucchhaarreesstt. TThhee CCaarrooll PPaarrkk with theMausoleum of the Communist PartyLeaders and the Monument to theUnknown Hero from the War ofUnification (1916-1918).

PPaarrccuull CCii[[mmiiggiiuu.. çn plan secund se potobserva Sala Palatului [i hotelul

Intercontinental. Parcul Ci[migiu,situat \n inima capitalei, este o gr~din~

clasic~ cu aspect romantic.

TThhee CCii[[mmiiggiiuu GGaarrddeenn.. In thebackground, one notices the PalaceHall and the Intercontinental Hotel.

The Ci[migiu Garden, situated at thevery heart of the capital, is a classical

garden with a Romantic aspect.

Actualul MMuuzzeeuu NNaa]]iioonnaall ddee AArrtt~~ aallRRoommâânniieeii se afl~ din 1948 \n cl~direa

fostului Palat Regal, construit \n stilneo-clasic de arhitectul român NicolaeNenciulescu, la ini]iativa Regelui Carol

al II-lea, \ntre anii 1927 [i 1937.

The present-day NNaattiioonnaall AArrtt MMuusseeuummooff RRoommaanniiaa has been lodged since

1948 by the Neo-classical building ofthe former Royal Palace, which wasdesigned by the Romanian architect

Nicolae Nenciulescu between 1927 and1937, at the initiative of King Carol II.

PPaallaattuull PPaarrllaammeennttuulluuii (Casa Poporului), ridicat \ntreanii 1984-1989. Palatul Parlamentului nu estedoar cel mai mare edificiu din Bucure[ti, dar [iunul din cele mai mari din lume. Prin suprafa]a sa(330 000 m2), palatul ocup~ locul al doilea dup~Pentagon, iar prin volumul s~u, locul al treileadup~ edificiul de la Cap Canaveral din Florida [ipiramida Quetzalcoatl din Mexic, fiind de patru orimai mare ca Luvrul. Nicolae Ceau[escu nu a maiapucat s~ foloseasc~ oficial imensa cl~dire ce \i eradestinat~, fiind executat \n decembrie 1989.

TThhee PPaarrlliiaammeenntt PPaallaaccee (the People’s House) was builtbetween 1984 and 1989. The Parliament Palace isnot only the largest edifice in Bucharest, but alsoone of the largest in the world. Its surface (330.000m2) makes it second only to the Pentagon. Itsvolume places it third after the building at CapeCanaveral in Florida and the Quetzalcoatl pyramid inMexico; it is four times larger than the Louvre.Nicolae Ceau[escu did not live long enough toofficially inaugurate this huge building which wasmeant for him, as he was executed in 1989.

DDeeaassuupprraa lliittoorraalluulluuiiOver the seaside

SSttaa]]iiuunneeaa MMaammaaiiaa.. Dintresta]iunile litoralului M~rii Negre,Mamaia, „perla litoraluluiromânesc", de]ine cea maifrumoas~ [i mai apreciat~ plaj~,cu o \ntindere de 8 km, o l~]imede 100-250 m [i cu un nisipdeosebit de fin.

MMaammaaiiaa. Among the resorts onthe Black Sea Coast, Mamaia,"the pearl of the RomanianCoast," has the most beautifuland most sought after beach. Itstretches for more than 8 kmand is 100-250 m wide. Thesand is very fine.

LLaann]]uull ddee hhootteelluurrii [[ii rreessttaauurraanntteeaflate \n partea de sud asta]iunii Mamaia.

RReessttaauurraannttss aanndd hhootteellss situatedin the southern part of theresort Mamaia.

99

100

HHootteelluull RReexx,, unul dintre celemai vechi [i celebre hoteluri dinsta]iunea Mamaia.

HHootteell RReexx,, one of the oldestand most famous hotels inMamaia.

SSttaa]]iiuunneeaa NNeeppttuunn [i litoralul eidantelat, \ntr-un cadru natural

de excep]ie, m~rginit~ de lacuri[i p~duri.

NNeeppttuunn and its indentedseaside, surrounded by

exceptionally beautiful naturalsetting, with lakes and forests.

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SSttaa]]iiuunneeaa NNeeppttuunn este a[ezat~\ntr-un cadru natural deosebit:

lacuri, p~duri [i, bine\n]eles,marea cu toate posibilita]ile pe

care le ofer~.

NNeeppttuunn is situated in a specialnatural setting, it is surroundedby lakes, woods and of coursethe sea, with all the recreation

facilities it offers.

SSttaa]]iiuunneeaa NNeeppttuunn.. În timpul regimuluicomunist, aceast~ cl~dire a fostre[edin]a preziden]ial~ de var~ acuplului Ceau[escu.

NNeeppttuunn.. During the Communist era,this building was the summer residenceof the Ceau[escu family.

105

CCoossttiinnee[[ttii,, o sta]iune destinat~de mul]i ani tinerilor.

CCoossttiinnee[[ttii is a resort that haslong been a favouritedestination for young people.

SSttaa]]iiuunneeaa OOlliimmpp se g~se[te \nimediata apropiere a

Neptunului. Micul golf estedominat de un complex hotelier

\n retrageri succesive \n stilamfiteatru: hotelurile

Panoramic, Belvedere [iAmfiteatru.

OOlliimmpp is situated in theimmediate vicinity of Neptun.Three hotels, the Panoramic,

the Belvedere, and theAmfiteatru, overlook the small

bay.

106

Sta]iunea CCaapp AAuurroorraa

CCaapp AAuurroorraa

AAggiiggeeaa.. CCaannaalluull DDuunn~~rree --MMaarreeaa NNeeaaggrr~~,, podul rutier [i

ecluza care face posibil~ trecereavaselor din [i spre Marea Neagr~.

AAggiiggeeaa.. TThhee DDaannuubbee CCaannaall, the roadbridge and the sea lock that permits

ships to enter or exit the canal.