The Palace of Culture (Romanian: Palatul Culturii) is one of the largest buildings of Romania, located in the city of Iasi.
The building hosts four different museums: The Museum of History, The Museum of Art, The Museum of Ethnography, and The Museum of Science and Technology (named after Stefan Procopiu).
The construction was started in 1906, on the old ruins of the Royal Court of Moldavia, by orders from King Carol I, but during World War I, the construction halted due to the limitation of resources. The monument was finished in 1925 and was inaugurated the following year by King Ferdinand.
Three architects were assigned to plan the building (Xenopol, Cerchez, and I. D. Berindei) and they designed it in flamboyant neo-gothic style. The Palace has 298 large rooms with a total area of 36,000 m² (387,500 ft²), 92 windows in the front part of the building and another 36 inside the building.
Up until 1955, the building served as the main courthouse of the county, with an interruption in World War II, when it was used by German, and later, Soviet troops. From 1975 to 1977, the Palace had its top floor renovated, as wooden structures were replaced in favour of cement and steel. Since 1977 the building has served as a museum.
Portrait of a Woman , (1900-1901)
watercolour and gouache on paper
31.5 x 24.8 cm
Walachian workshop, 1685
silver, cast, chiselled, gilded, and enamel
29 x 25 cm
By the sea , (1880-1885)
oil on canvas
55.5 x 95 cm
Moldavian workshop, 1506
silvergilt and silk thread on silk fabric
190 x 130 cm
Wisdom of the Earth
waxed limestone
51 x 17.8 x 25.3 cm
The Prayer , (1907)
Patinated bronze
111.5 x 35 x 120 cm
Welcome - Bine ati venit!
Welcome to the National Museum of Art in Bucharest.
Romania's leading art museum was founded in 1948 to
house the former Royal Collection along with those
of various other museums in the country's capital.
The aim of the museum is to provide a comprehensive
view on Romanian art from the early Middle Ages
to the present, in as broad an European context as
possible.
