Calea Victoriei
Bucharest Telephone Palace | |
Former name(s) | Ulița Mare
Drumul Brașovului Podul Mogoșoaiei |
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Length | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) |
Location | Bucharest, Romania |
Nearest metro station | Piața Unirii Universitate Piața Victoriei |
Coordinates | 44°26′31.49″N 26°5′38.57″E / 44.4420806°N 26.0940472°E |
South end | Splaiul Independenței |
Major junctions | Revolution Square |
North end | Victory Square |
Construction | |
Inauguration | 1692 |
Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue) is a major avenue in central Bucharest. Situated in Sector 1, and having a length of 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi), it leads from Splaiul Independenței (which runs parallel to the Dâmbovița River) to the north and then northwest up to Piața Victoriei, where Șoseaua Kiseleff continues north.
History
Initially, the road was known as Ulița Mare (Large Street),
Most roads in the Balkans at that time became muddy in the spring and autumn, and the wood prevented this. Consequently, the road was one of the most important construction works of the area and a source of pride to Bucharesters. The area surrounding the road became the most fashionable part of Bucharest: 35 boyar houses were located on the road itself in 1775.[5]
Podul Mogoșoaiei was the first street in Bucharest to be illuminated with candles during the night, starting July 1814.[6]
The wood was not a very sturdy material and often it was in a bad state, despite being repaired several times (including in 1793 and 1814). During the
The road was renamed "Calea Victoriei" on October 12, 1878, following the Romanian victory in the Independence War of 1877–1878.[7]
Calea Victoriei was Bucharest's showpiece street in the Interwar period. Tudor Octavian wrote, "this is how the whole of Bucharest would look if we had been allowed…, if its builders had been clever enough…".[8] After roughly half a century of decline, it has recently been returning to this role.
Today, the avenue is lined with new fashion shops, art boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, making it an upmarket shopping strip in Bucharest.
As of 2023 the association streets for people (in Romanian: Străzi Pentru Oameni) started a petition to make the entire avenue fully pedestrian.
Buildings and monuments
Major buildings and monuments along the street include (from north to south):
- The Cantacuzino Palace, hosting The George Enescu Museum
- Museum of Art Collections
- Știrbey Palace
- The Hilton
- Romanian Athenaeum
- National Museum of Art of Romania
- The Central Library of the University of Bucharest
- Kretzulescu Church
- Piața Revoluției (Revolution Square), including the Memorial of Rebirth
- Palatul Telefoanelor
- Odeon Theatre
- Casa Capșa
- Palace of the National Military Circle
- Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse
- Bucharest Financial Plaza
- National Museum of History of Romania, with the Statue of Trajan and the She-wolfon its steps
- CEC Palace
The avenue was also long home to the
The National Museum of Art of Romania (the former Royal Palace) and the University Library across the street from it (both damaged in the
-
Calea Victoriei in the 1940s. Postal palace (today the History Museum) and CEC Palace (left)
-
Vernescu House
-
Museum of Art Collections
-
Athenee Palace
-
Revolution Square
-
Romanian Atheneum
-
Grand Hotel Continental
-
Grand Hôtel du Boulevard
Notes
- ^ Georgescu, p. 121
- ^ Ionescu, p. 30
- ^ Georgescu, p.137
- ^ Georgescu, p.137
- ^ Ionescu, p. 9
- ^ Ionescu, p. 34-35
- ^ (in Romanian) Vlad Ignat, "Povestea unei străzi" Archived 2012-11-10 at the Wayback Machine, Adevărul, October 5, 2012; accessed October 5, 2012
- ^ Bucureștiul Interbelic, p. 5 (pages unnumbered).
References
- —, Bucureștiul Interbelic/Calea Victoriei/Interbellum Bucharest, NOI Media Print, ISBN 973-99493-7-1
- Ștefan Ionescu, Bucureștii în vremea fanarioților (Bucharest in the time of the Phanariotes), Editura Dacia, Cluj, 1974.
- Florian Georgescu et al. Istoria Orașului București, Muzeul de Istorie a Orașului București, 1965