TOWN HALL (PRIMARIA)

The town hall of the Moldovan capital is located on the boulevard Ștefan cel Mare, its construction started in 1898 and was completed in 1901. The project was originally initiated by the mayor of Chișinău (then Kishinev), Karl Schmidt, who wanted to build a new seat for the municipal authorities and the municipal council, then called the municipal duma. The two commissioned architects were Mitrofan Eliade and Alexandru Bernardazzi, who were inspired by the medieval Gothic and Italian Renaissance architectural style to design the main façade on the boulevard. On the façades there are trellises and they are crowned with triangular pediments. Shops and a tourist information centre are located on the ground floor. The main entrance is overlooked by a tower with a clock and a balcony-gallery. During the Second World War, the building was severely damaged by Soviet bombing. It was rebuilt after the war from photographs under the direction of the architect R. Kurtz. At every hour of the day, the bells of the town hall ring out with a melody known to Moldovans, the anthem of Chișinău, whose lyrics evoke the famous white stones, dear to the architect. Don't miss the commemorative plaque on the facade, a tribute to the talent of Alexandru Bernardazzi. The town hall was represented on a 10 bani stamp issued by the Moldavian Post Office in 1996 for the 560th anniversary of the capital.