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Piața Unirii

Historic monuments in BucharestSquares in Bucharest
Piata Unirii Bucuresti
Piata Unirii Bucuresti

Piața Unirii (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈpjat͡sa uˈnirij]; Unification Square or Union Square in English) is one of the largest squares in central Bucharest, Romania, located in the center of the city where Sectors 1, 2, 3, and 4 meet. Part of the Civic Centre, it is bisected by Unirii Boulevard, originally built during the Communist era as the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism, and renamed after the Romanian Revolution. The square is a significant transport hub, containing the Piața Unirii metro station and a major interchange for STB buses; there is also a tram terminal near the southwest corner. The Unirea Shopping Center, the Cocor department store and a large taxi rank are located on the east side of this square, while Hanul lui Manuc is on the north side, near the northeast corner. The centre of the square boasts a small park and fountains which are particularly popular with commuters and passers-by in the torrid summer months. There were plans to build the Romanian National Salvation Cathedral on the place of this park, but the idea proved technically impossible due to the busy underground environment and lack of popularity among local citizens and therefore the location was changed. The square features a large Christmas tree erected every December.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Piața Unirii (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Piața Unirii
Pasajul Pietonal Metrou Unirii, Bucharest Centrul Civic (Sector 3)

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 44.427997222222 ° E 26.102172222222 °
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Piața Unirii 1

Pasajul Pietonal Metrou Unirii
030119 Bucharest, Centrul Civic (Sector 3)
Romania
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Piata Unirii Bucuresti
Piata Unirii Bucuresti
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Piața Unirii metro station
Piața Unirii metro station

Piața Unirii (Union Square) is a major metro station in Bucharest. It is located in the southern part of the city centre, in Union Square (Piața Unirii in Romanian), and it is one of the busiest stations of the Bucharest Metro. It is made up of two terminals, one on the M1 and M3 lines and another on the M2 line, linked by a passage. The M1/M3 station was opened on 19 November 1979 as part of the inaugural section of Bucharest Metro, between Semănătoarea and Timpuri Noi. The M2 station was opened on 24 January 1986 as part of the inaugural section of the line, from Piața Unirii to Depoul IMGB. On 24 October 1987, the line was extended north to Pipera.A McDonald's fast-food restaurant is located in the vestibule above the M2 line platform. The station also features kiosks selling from newspapers to stationery, bakeries, a diversity of shops, public phones, a large transport police station (with a list of mugshots at the entrance) and mobile-phone servicing points. Due to the numerous entrances located in and around Piața Unirii square to the two metro terminals that make up the entire Piața Unirii station, it is located in Sectors 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Bucharest. The original entrances, opened in 1979 were shut off and replaced by newer ones around 1987, due to the reconstruction of the square. Nowadays some of them serve as service entrances, and from above-ground, they can be noticed by a narrow metal door.

St. Catherine's Church, Bucharest
St. Catherine's Church, Bucharest

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.