The ancient remains
Anyone interested in very ancient architecture will be thrilled in Romania, especially when encountering Sarmizegetusa Regia and the Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains. Located in Hunedoara County, their construction dates back to the first centuries BC and AD. At that time, Sarmizegetusa Regia occupied the status of capital of the Dacian state, just before the Romans invaded. The various constructions are a blend of military and religious architectural concepts and techniques, and the six defensive works that visitors can discover today are extremely well preserved, set in the heart of an exceptional, verdant natural site.
If the Greeks were renowned for their breathtaking constructions, they also left their mark on Romanian territory, particularly on the Black Sea coast in the 7th century BC. Today, the city of Histria is the finest testimony to this era and Romania's most important archaeological site. Remains of baths, basilicas and stores were discovered during excavations in 1914. In the adjacent museum, you can also admire some beautiful columns that have been moved for protection.
Local architecture, Byzantine and Western influences
During the Middle Ages, the country was influenced, albeit at very different levels, by Western and Byzantine currents.
The most spectacular examples of folk architecture date from this period: wooden churches in Maramureș and Apuseni, monasteries, princely manor houses... In Transylvania, the materials and techniques used in Western Europe were quickly adapted. Thus, theBlack Church of Brașov or Hunedoara Castle will be inspired by the Gothic style. Transylvania is one of Romania's most architecturally fascinating regions. From fortified town to fortified town, you can admire the original way in which they were all built. Religious monuments are centrally located, and urban development always seems to respect this element. The cities of Brașov, Sibiu and Sighișoara are perfect examples.
In Moldavia, foreign influences are less visible. The same is true of Wallachia, where local architecture is largely inspired by the Byzantine style and ignores Western trends (the Curtea de Argeș monastery, for example). The 15th century saw the emergence of the Moldavian style, with countless monasteries built under princes Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare, died 1504) and Petru Rareș (died 1546). Moldavian style wonderfully combines local architecture, Gothic elements and Byzantine structure. Covered in rich paintings, the facades of these monasteries are truly exceptional. For example, the Voroneț monastery, located not far from the town of Gura Humorului, features a trefoil plan and interior paintings that were added at the time of construction in the 14th century. The exterior paintings were added in the following century. They depict religious scenes ranging from the creation of the world to the Last Judgment. Another fine example of Moldavian architecture is the Probota monastery. Here, too, the exterior paintings depict scenes from the New and Old Testaments. The church was restored between 1996 and 2001, and is considered the most representative of Moldavian churches.
We can't mention Stephen the Great without mentioning his involvement in the construction of a large number of stone fortresses in Moldavia. Places like the fortresses of Suceava, Neamț and Soroca have withstood attempted invasions and imposed sieges to the point where their architecture is still flamboyant today.
The Brâncovan style
In the 17th century, the same number of monasteries were still being built, as were princely residences and castles. The Italian Renaissance inspired local architects. It was at this time that the Brâncovan style appeared, named after the prince-builder Constantin Brâncoveanu (1664-1714). This style was largely inspired by traditional local architecture, blending Venetian and Oriental elements. Among the many monuments built in the Brâncovan style is the Hurezi monastery, one of the most famous and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features verandas inspired by peasant verandas, but adorned with Italian Renaissance decorative elements such as loggias. Mogoșoaia Palace is another fine example. Located 15 km from the center of Bucharest, this prestigious residence boasts pink-brick facades featuring beautiful windows with tri-lobed arches. Loggias with twisted columns give the place an immediate Venetian feel. But we're really talking about the Brâncovan style here, a style with diverse influences that remains uniquely Romanian. To demonstrate the importance of the style and the influence of man on the whole territory, other monuments of the style are scattered throughout the country. The Brâncoveanu monastery in
Sâmbăta de Sus in Transylvania and Brâncoveni in Oltenia are other gems not to be missed.
On the way to the 20th century
By the dawn of the 18th century, towns were expanding and more residential and administrative buildings were being constructed than religious complexes. Baroque style dominated in Transylvania, as witnessed by the Brukenthal Palace in Sibiu. In the 19th century, classical and romantic buildings made their appearance. However, local revolts, bursts of nationalism and the union of the country favored a return to traditional architecture. At the same time, Romania, fascinated by France, adopted the eclectic and classical styles in vogue in Paris, as exemplified by theRomanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. Great French architects were invited to express their talents in the country. It was for this reason that the city was nicknamed "Petit Paris". This taste for imitating what was being done elsewhere in Europe can also be seen in splendid buildings such as Peleș Castle. Built from stone, brick and marble, it reflects a perfect blend of styles, including Italian Renaissance, Gothic, French Rococo and German Baroque. Some say it's one of the most beautiful castles in the world.
Modernist and functionalist buildings make their appearance in central Bucharest: the Tehnoimport building is a remarkable example of modernist architecture, typical of the 1930s, of which Marcel Iancu and Horia Creangă were the forerunners in Romania. The Patria cinema (closed since 2015), on Magheru Boulevard, is another fine example.
The Ceaușescu era
Deliberate population growth and forced systematization: the Communist period was marked by the construction of vast neighborhoods of standardized housing blocks, rigid civic centers in every prefecture and the destruction of thousands of old houses and traditional villages.
In many cities, the old city centers disappeared in whole or in part (as in Bucharest), to be replaced by monumental administrative buildings. As a result, dormitory districts are springing up on the outskirts of cities, with gigantic blocks of buildings eight to ten storeys high, as can be seen in the Giurgiului, Titan and Taberei districts on the outskirts of the Romanian capital. These districts are of little architectural interest, but they do meet the need for housing. And for his urban planning program, Nicolae Ceaușescu drew his inspiration from the USSR, whose large housing estates were a perfect response to the need to house people from rural areas who were swelling the ranks of industry.
Today, Romanian cities are struggling to break away from this model. True, the charm of old houses is being rediscovered and renovated, but the bulk of investment is going into the construction of pretentious glass towers, devoid of charm or originality.
Rural architecture
Visits to different parts of the country reveal the richness and diversity of folk architecture in housing and church construction: a variety of materials (wood, stone, clay, etc.), shapes (vertical, horizontal buildings), enclosed and unenclosed courtyards and gates. Although modern materials have replaced traditional ones, in the countryside you can still see houses made of interlaced branches and plastered with clay, with roofs of wooden tiles, thatch (rye or wheat) of varying heights, or rush (in the delta). So, wherever you go in the country, you may be lucky enough to come across a Romanian rural house on one level or with one or two storeys. Stone and wood are the main materials used. Built in mountainous areas, they can occasionally be seen on the plains. The roof forms an overhang that provides protection from the sun, or rain, depending on the season. The porch is also a very important element in the Romanian rural home. It is carefully decorated with flowers or vine leaves. The pirogue house (or bordei) is the oldest type of Romanian rural dwelling. It's a semi-buried dwelling, peasant par excellence, built with earthen walls and wooden planks, while the sloping roof is covered with thatch.
Architecture is influenced by climate, economic needs (livestock, viticulture...) and available materials: wood from the forests in Maramureș, stones from ancient Dacian fortresses reused for the houses and churches of Densuș or Strei, clay in the plains, not to mention the various skills brought by successive invaders.
To appreciate this diversity, if you don't have the time to travel the length and breadth of the country, it's advisable to visit the Open-Air Village museums in Bucharest or Sibiu, for example, where different types of houses, churches and rural buildings are recreated.
An architectural heritage to preserve
Bucharest is a capital with no genre to speak of. In fact, it's easy to recognize that Bucharest is a city of a thousand faces as you stroll through its various districts. Through its architecture, we read its history, and the way in which civilizations, artistic currents and outside influences have played an important role in the face it reflects today. From the Ottoman Empire, through the fascination of French architecture and the pastiches of Russian housing estates, you can turn a corner to see a triumphal arch, a splendid Orthodox church or a large block of Soviet-inspired buildings.
Romania is surprisingly rich in architecture. Some buildings are even priceless. Despite the (all too rare) local initiatives and international heritage enhancement programs (still in their infancy), the list of historic monuments in need of renovation remains long. All too often, we prefer to leave century-old buildings to deteriorate and build new ones. Even if money is the main problem, it's also due to the indifference of local authorities.
