THE COTROCENI PALACE

The Cotroceni Palace was designed as the residence palace of Ferdinand and Marie, the heir Prince and Princess to the Romanian throne. The Cotroceni Palace was built between 1893-1895 by the French architect Paul Gottreau.

The palace reveals its magnificence right from the entrance. Its monumental interior staircase surrounded by vast galleries in neo-baroque French style reminds one of the Great Opera in Paris, which in fact was used as a model. The French Paul Gottereau chose a Venetian style and architect Grigore Cerchez redesigned an entire wing of the palace, including the great reception hall, in Romanian romantic architectural style.

At Cotroceni, there exists also a hunting hall built in an Italian Renaissance style, but also a royal library used as a work study by king Ferdinand himself.

The most impressive room in the new wing is Union Hall, where the most important receptions of the president take place. The hall has marble walls and numerous columns that remind of the original architecture of Văcăreşti Monastery.

The roof is a colourful stained glass with blue background, in which one can depict scenes from the national history. Part of the Cotroceni estate, now separated from the present presidential residence by the street with the same name, has been transformed into the Botanic Garden.