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Curtea Veche Palace – Bucharest’s oldest monument, forgotten and in ruins

Curtea Veche Palace – Bucharest’s oldest monument, forgotten and in ruins

By Bucharest Team

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Roots are most important. They are the point of origin, the moment when everything began and without which nothing would have existed. One such root, of Bucharest this time, is the Voievodal Palace of Curtea Veche. It is the place where the capital of today's Romania was founded, being the first royal court of this place. Unfortunately, as in the case of many places of great significance, it too has been forgotten, being left in disrepair even though it is located in the center of Bucharest.

Curtea Veche - History 

Built in the 15th century, the Curtea Veche was originally the residence of Vlad Țepeș, also known as Vlad Dracul or Dracula. Under his reign, Bucharest was first mentioned as a city and Curtea Veche was established as the seat of power. It formed the nucleus of the future voivode's palace, which, in the initial phase, reproduced its external contours.

The original building was partially destroyed during a siege in 1470. However, all the foundations and the lower part of the basement perimeter walls on its east, west and north sides were preserved. The new fortress was built on the ruins of the fortress of Vlad Țepeș between 1476 and 1480, by order of Laiotă Basarab. The fortress has largely preserved the configuration of the old one.

The palace has been extended and renovated over the centuries by various voivodes, including Mircea Ciobanul and Constantin Brâncoveanu, who contributed to its consolidation as an administrative and cultural center. In fact, history shows us that all the rulers of Wallachia left their mark on the Old Court.

The glory period of the Princely Court was during the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714), when the palace and gardens totaled 25 000 square meters, in an area bounded today by the Dâmbovița River to the south, Smârdan and Șelari streets to the west, the Lipscani shopping street to the north, and I.C. Brătianu Boulevard to the east. After 1798, this perimeter was auctioned off and modern streets and neighborhoods sprang up in its place. Today, the Curtea Veche Palace is located between Covaci Street and French Street, very close to the famous Manuc's Inn.

The museum was set up between 1969 and 1974 and preserves, for the most part, the historical imprint of the 18th century, as well as fragments of walls from the reign of Vlad Tepes (1456-1462), together with the foundations of the first residence from the 14th century.

Curtea Veche - Architecture and key elements

The entire Princely Court consisted of a palace - the Voievodal Palace, a church - the Church of the Annunciation, later known as the Church of the Old Court, houses with reception halls, princely chancelleries, stables and gardens.

The architecture of the Voievodal Palace reflects the influences of the Renaissance style combined with traditional Romanian elements. The remaining ruins, including the outer walls, cellars and foundations, give a clear picture of its original grandeur. The inner courtyard, a central feature of the palace, was used for various ceremonies and official activities.

Notable structures include:

  •  Church of the Annunciation: Built in the Brancovanesque style, the church was an integral part of the Old Court complex, serving as a place of prayer and religious ceremonies for the rulers and their court.
  •  The Throne Hall: Although only ruins remain today, this hall was where the sovereigns exercised their authority and received foreign envoys.

Curtea Veche - Restoration attempts 

The Voievodal Palace “Curtea Veche” plays a crucial role in promoting Bucharest's cultural heritage. However, up to this point it has not been restored. 

The Voievodal Palace was closed by the City Hall on November 18, 2015 in order to be renovated. The mayor at the time, Gabriela Firea, promised a “Voievodal Palace restored to the present”. The works carried out by the Municipal Consolidation Company were supposed to take 3 years and cost €8 million. In reality, the construction site was only opened 2 years later, in 2017, and by 2020, the date of the local elections, the works were only 5% completed.  In the meantime, the new mayor Nicușor Dan has started his own battle with the companies set up by Gabriela Firea, and their activity has stopped completely, with a few exceptions that the mayor has agreed to keep.

In 2023, Nicușor Dan declared that the Curtea Veche Palace would be consolidated and restored in order to be reintroduced into the tourist circuit.

Future events