Venue - National Military Pallace
The construction works at the Palace of the National Military Circle were initiated in 1911, but the building was inaugurated no sooner than 1923, an event attended by plenty of important public and army figures of the time, King Ferdinand I included.
The construction works took only 2 years, but the opening was delayed by the fact the building was pillaged and damaged during the Second World War. Despite this 12-year waiting period, the outcome proved to be more than gratifying, since the Palace of the National Military Circle was and, in fact, it still is, one of the most impeccable and graceful architectural jewels in Bucharest.
Located at the intersection of the much celebrated Victory Avenue and Queen Elisabeth Boulevard, the palace is impossible to miss out, since it is one of the most eye-catching structures in the very center of the capital. It is to Dimitrie Maimarolu and to his collaborators, V. Stefanescu and E. Doneaud, that the palace owes its reputation of landmark of the architectural landscape of Bucharest, Dimitrie Maimarolu being, amongst others, the architect of yet another valuable tourist sight, namely, the Palace of the Patriarchy. In the memory of the work realized by Maimarolu with so much artistry and dedication, a bust of the architect was unveiled and displayed within the palace in 2005.
On the outside, the building materializes an eclectic style with glaring touches which call forth the monumentality of the French architecture, the facade being bordered by a raw of columns. However, what is truly spectacular about the Palace of the National Military Circle is the inside, with highlights like the 5 rooms named according to the theme their layout and decorations materialize, and the monumental stair between the ground floor and the superior floor. The Norwegian Room is replete with decorative motifs inspired from the Scandinavian mythology and culture, whereas the ceiling of the Moorish Room bristles with floral decorative motifs, its walls being wainscoted with delicate quality wood. The Marble Room is generally deemed the most impeccable of all, its lush decorative motifs being obviously inspired from the military field. However, the Gothic and the Byzantine Rooms must also be mentioned.
From its opening until now, the Palace of the National Military Circle has been the headquarters of the National Military Circle, which is the most important cultural institution of the Romanian army. In fact, the palace was built to this purpose precisely. It is also home to the National Military Library.
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