Flămânda Church

The Palace of the Chamber of Deputies (Romanian: Palatul Camerei Deputaților) (now the Palace of the Patriarchate (Palatul Patriarhiei); also known as the Palace of the Great National Assembly (Palatul Marii Adunări Naționale) during the Communist regime) is a building in Bucharest, Romania located on the plateau of Dealul Mitropoliei. The building served as the seat of successive Romanian legislatures: of the Assembly of Deputies during the Kingdom of Romania, then of the Communist-era Great National Assembly, and after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, of the Chamber of Deputies. Parliamentarians vacated the building in 1997, when it passed to the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The Romanian Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral (also known as the Metropolitan Church) is a functioning religious and civic landmark, on Dealul Mitropoliei, in Bucharest, Romania. It is located near the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies of the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Since it is a working cathedral, it is the site of many religious holidays and observances that take place for those who follow the Orthodox Christian faith in Bucharest, including a Palm Sunday pilgrimage. The Orthodox Divine Liturgy at the cathedral is known for its a cappella choir, a common practice shared by all the Orthodox churches, in both their prayer services and liturgical rites. The Romanian Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral is a designated Historical monument—Monument istoric of Romania.

Dealul Mitropoliei (Romanian: [ˈde̯alul mitropoˈli.ej], Metropolitanate Hill), also called Dealul Patriarhiei (IPA: [ˈde̯alul patriarˈhi.ej], Patriarchate Hill), is a small hill in Bucharest, Romania and an important historic, cultural, architectural, religious and touristic point in the national capital. From a religious point of view, it is one of the centres of Romanian Orthodoxy: the headquarters of the Romanian Patriarchy and the residence of the Patriarch are both located here. A series of events in the history of Romania is closely linked to this place, for until 1997, the Chamber of Deputies of Romania as well as the Great National Assembly met in the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies in the Patriarchal complex. Also here, in the building where the Princely Divan met, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected prince of Moldavia and Wallachia.

St. Catherine's Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfânta Ecaterina) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 5 Sfânta Ecaterina Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The church is located on the site of a monastery church established by Ivașco Golescu, who served as High Vornic from 1574 to 1583. The monastery, first mentioned in a document of 1589, was subservient to Saint Catherine's Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula. It was repaired in 1595, following the retreat of the Ottoman troops under Koca Sinan Pasha, by Vistier (treasurer) Pană, who thus became a second ktetor. Nearby, in 1775–1782, Lady Ecaterina Ipsilanti built an inn, later burned and finally demolished in 1862; this circumstance gave rise to the erroneous notion that she founded the monastery.The church was burned by the troops of Gabriel Báthory in 1611 and again repaired by the founders’ descendants. By 1813, the monastery featured large houses for its officials and many annexes. An 1836 inventory records that the church was made of masonry, with two wooden domes, and was covered in wooden beams. The 1838 earthquake cracked the ceilings, which were repaired. By 1849, it lay in ruins, and was demolished to the foundations the following year, without approval from the Metropolis. According to the pisanie, the current church was completed in 1852, and henceforth served as a lay parish. It was painted by Constantin Lecca and Mișu Popp. The iconostasis art was painted on canvas at Sinai, then transferred to wood. Repairs took place in 1899, 1909, and 1923.The church is 31.3 meters long by 10–16 meters wide. It is cross-shaped, with large semi-circular apses. The very small octagonal spire sits atop the nave, while the bell tower is square; each of the latter’s four sides has a closed arch with a large window. The semicircular portico features an entablature resting on four Ionic columns. Above the simple portal are the pisanie in Romanian Cyrillic and the icon of the patron saint. The simple Neoclassical facades have pilasters on the lower half, divided from the upper by a string course. The interior walls are decorated in Baroque style, with pilasters and composite capitals. The arches are covered in decorative paintings, while the ceilings are covered in icons of saints. The large rectangular windows have simple bars on the exterior.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs. Also listed is the 1911 bust of educator Barbu Constantinescu, located on the grounds. The church serves as a chapel for the Theology Faculty of the University of Bucharest.

Slobozia Church (Romanian: Biserica Slobozia), dedicated to the Great Martyr St. Demetrius (Sf. Mare Mucenic Dumitru), is a Romanian Orthodox church in Bucharest's Sector 4, located at the intersection of Dimitrie Cantemir and Marășești Boulevards. Built by Radu Leon, its ctitor, between 1664 and 1667, the church was erected near a stone cross placed by Radu's father, Leon Tomșa. The cross was built between 1629 and 1632 in order to commemorate the victory Leon Tomșa's army had won on August 23, 1631 against the boyars of Aga Matei (the future Matei Basarab). The cross stands on a small circular mound, where the bones of Leon Tomșa's troops are buried, as well as those of his enemy. Between 1664 and 1665 Radu Leon restored the cross, providing it with a brick shelter, now lost. After renovating the cross, Radu Leon built Slobozia Church. Initially constructed on a rectangular plan, the church was rebuilt, enlarged and rounded in 1743 by vistier (treasurer) Constantin Năsturel Herescu. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the church underwent a series of important modifications, so that its original style acquired a classical look. Among these changes was the replacement of the interior walls with large arches; the façades also acquired classical elements. The interior murals have also changed through time, the most important new features being introduced around the time of the Wallachian Revolution of 1848, a period when Western trends were combined with native elements. During construction work of the Bucharest Metro, the altar was cracked in April or May 1986, leading to the filling of the said tunnel with sand, and subsequent repairs to the altar.

The St. Elijah–Rahova Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfântul Ilie–Rahova) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 79 Constantin Silvestru Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. The church was built on the site of an earlier church, called Gorgănel, that had been founded in 1706 by Safta, the daughter of Constantin Brâncoveanu, and destroyed during the 1802 earthquake. Vornic Fotache Știrbey led an initiative to rebuild the church, which after his 1828 death was taken up by Neofit, the Bishop of Râmnic, and Ban George Filipescu. The land, inherited by Iancu Bălcescu (uncle of Nicolae), was sold in 1835 to Clucer Bobescu. The new church was built in 1837-1838. The main restoration took place in 1874, with a consolidation being undertaken after the 1940 earthquake. The arches were tied with metal cables, while the dome was encircled by iron girds, saving it from demolition, a fate that befell many damaged domes.The interior was painted by Gheorghe Tattarescu in 1874; he signed on the nave wall, at the feet of his patron, Saint George. His work was restored in 1950 and again in the 1990s; the stained glass dates to 1993. The funerary stones of ktetor Știrbey and his wife Ralița are found on the right side of the entrance. The grave of the Urlățenii boyars is on the left. The grave of Scarlat Urlățeanu, who supervised the construction, was once located near the entrance on the exterior; the headstone is now at Antim Monastery. In 1895, a group of buildings, some on the site of the old cells, was erected around the church; these came to house stores, guest rooms and apartments. Executed in an eclectic style, with elements of Beaux-Arts, they enclosed a courtyard of 35 by 40 meters, with rich vegetation. In 1984, during the systematization drive of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, the buildings were demolished. The church itself was only spared through protests by the priest and his parishioners. It was nevertheless moved 49 meters, and is now situated behind apartment blocks. It was renovated after the Romanian Revolution and rededicated in 1994.The church features a rectangular plan, measuring 27.4 meters long and 12 meters wide. It has a semicircular altar apse and two domes. The larger, circular one is above the nave, while the square bell tower sits on the narthex. The style is Neoclassical, while the low, ample main dome recalls Greek basilicas. The facades have pilasters resting on a stone base, holding up a slassical cornice. The western facade ends in a pediment. Entry is through an open vestibule supported by two slender columns. This was added later and is out of harmony with the massive structure. The altar window has a richly carved original frame. This has its origins in Moldavia, but also has Gothic accents, and is similar to a frame introduced by Vasile Lupu at the Stelea Monsstery church he founded in Târgoviște. Artisans enriched the design with older local motifs: lone buds that, unusually, encircle the cylindrical shapes on the upper end; or the Brâncovenesc accents of the egg-and-darts enclosed by Acanthus mollis leaves.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.

The Dimitrie Leonida Technical Museum was founded in 1909 by Dimitrie Leonida, inspired by the München Technical Museum, he had visited during his studies in Charlottenburg Polytechnic Institute. In 1908, with the help of the first promotions of mechanics and electricians from his school, the first in Romania, Leonida collected the first objects for the museum. What is different in the Leonida museum was the educational orientation of the museum and also the interactivity.

The Saint Spyridon the New Church (Romanian: Sfântul Spiridon Nou) is a Romanian Orthodox church in Bucharest, Romania on Calea Șerban Vodă, no. 29. Originally built with gothic influences in 1852–1858, it was strongly modified by Patriarch Justinian (especially the towers).

The Alexe Church (Romanian: Biserica Alexe) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 123 Calea Șerban Vodă in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God. Reportedly, the church was built of brick around 1799, on the site of an earlier wooden church. A list of names to be prayed for, since lost, was carved in stone in the altar and mentioned the year 1809; another such list was from 1812. At any event, the church was re-founded in 1812 by a certain Alexe Arnăutu and his wife Maria. Upon his death the following year, he dedicated the church to the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos. The interior painting, in Renaissance style, is by Gheorghe Ioanid. Renovations took place after the 1838 earthquake, again in 1845 and, as recorded in the pisanie, in 1897. Major repairs were undertaken in 1926, with more minor interventions in 1948, 1953 and 1979. It was mostly closed from 1988 to 1998, with demolition proposed. More repairs started in 2004.The cross-shaped church measures 28 meters long by 6-12 meters wide. The altar apse is polygonal, the wide side apses round on the exterior. The nave and narthex are beneath the same tin roof; the entrance facade features a simple pediment. The larger dome, above the nave, has windows on all eight sides; the octagonal bell tower is above the narthex. Both are coated in tin and neither has a base. The narthex ceiling is flat, with the choir area above. The added portico is narrower than the narthex and just one story high. It is entered through a large central arch that has a metal door. To the right and left there are two narrow windows rounded above, similar to the side windows. There is a string course on the portico; otherwise, the whitewashed facades are plain. The painting depicting the patron feast sits in a small rectangular frame on the pediment. The large lower windows have stained glass with saints and Biblical scenes. The smaller upper windows light the choir. The surrounding yard is large, with old poplars near the street.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.

The Curtea Veche Church (Romanian: Biserica Curtea Veche) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 33 Franceză Street in the Lipscani quarter of Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Feast of the Annunciation and to Saint Anthony the Great.

Wallachia or Walachia (; Romanian: Țara Românească, lit. 'The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country', pronounced [ˈt͡sara romɨˈne̯askə]; archaic: Țeara Rumânească, Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: Цѣра Рꙋмѫнѣскъ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia is traditionally divided into two sections, Muntenia (Greater Wallachia) and Oltenia (Lesser Wallachia). Wallachia as a whole is sometimes referred to as Muntenia through identification with the larger of the two traditional sections. Wallachia was founded as a principality in the early 14th century by Basarab I after a rebellion against Charles I of Hungary, although the first mention of the territory of Wallachia west of the river Olt dates to a charter given to the voivode Seneslau in 1246 by Béla IV of Hungary. In 1417, Wallachia was forced to accept the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire; this lasted until the 19th century, albeit with brief periods of Russian occupation between 1768 and 1854. In 1859, Wallachia united with Moldavia to form the United Principalities, which adopted the name Romania in 1866 and officially became the Kingdom of Romania in 1881. Later, following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the resolution of the elected representatives of Romanians in 1918, Bukovina, Transylvania as well as parts of Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș were allocated to the Kingdom of Romania, thereby forming the modern Romanian state.

The Kingdom of Romania (Romanian: Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March (O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 with the abdication of King Michael I of Romania and the Romanian parliament's proclamation of Romania as a socialist People's republic. From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two vassal principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia) under a single prince to an autonomous principality with a Hohenzollern monarchy. The country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire during the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War (known locally as the Romanian War of Independence), when it also received Northern Dobruja in exchange for the southern part of Bessarabia. The kingdom's territory during the reign of King Carol I, between 13 (O.S.) / 25 March 1881 and 27 September (O.S.) / 10 October 1914 is sometimes referred as the Romanian Old Kingdom, to distinguish it from "Greater Romania", which included the provinces that became part of the state after World War I (Bessarabia, Banat, Bukovina, and Transylvania). With the exception of the southern halves of Bukovina and Transylvania, these territories were ceded to neighboring countries in 1940, under the pressure of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. Following the abolishment of the 1923 constitution by King Carol II in 1938, the Kingdom of Romania became a de facto absolute monarchy, only to become a military dictatorship under Ion Antonescu in 1940 after the forced abdication of King Carol II, with his successor, King Michael I being a figurehead with no effective political power. The country's name was changed to Legionary Romania. The disastrous World War II campaign on the side of the Axis powers led to King Michael's Coup against Ion Antonescu in 1944, as a result of which the Kingdom of Romania became a constitutional monarchy again and switched sides to the Allies, recovering Northern Transylvania. The influence of the neighbouring Soviet Union and the policies followed by Communist-dominated coalition governments ultimately led to the abolition of the monarchy, with Romania becoming a Soviet satellite state as the People's Republic of Romania on the last day of 1947.