Iaşi, Romania's historical capital, looking to find the path to its former glory

When the 1859 Union is celebrated, the focus usually turns to the eastern Romania city of Iaşi, the former capital of Moldavia, the province which elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza as its ruler on January 5, 1859. His election as ruler of Țara Românească (Wallachia), a few weeks later, on January 24, sealed the formal unification of the two principalities. But while Moldavia gave modern Romania its first leader, it did not offer its capital city.

Between 1859 and 1862, the united principalities had two capitals: Iaşi and Bucharest. The latter remained the only one beginning with 1862, while Iaşi had to contend with a new status, and all that it brought, or not, in the way of its development. One of Romania’s oldest cities, Iaşi was the capital of Moldavia for three centuries, from 1564 to 1862. It became a capital after ruler Alexandru Lăpușneanu moved the seat from Suceava. After it became a capital, the city started to develop under its new role. In the 17