Mioriţa Fountain, a historic monument in northern Bucharest, reopened this week, following a refurbishment process carried out by Apa Nova, the company that manages Bucharest’s water and sewage system, with support from the City Hall.

The fountain, inaugurated in 1936, is located close to the Băneasa train station, in front of the Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici Museum. The monument was designed by architect Octav Doicescu. It is decorated with a mosaic designed by sculptor Milița Petrașcu, depicting scenes from the Miorița ballad. Miorița is a folkloric poem found in many versions in all regions of Romania.

The artistic restoration was carried out based on the original drawings and plans, using quality materials that preserve the authenticity of the work. The restoration of the mosaic was undertaken separately from the structural and architectural intervention works and those concerning the replacement of the old piping and equipment. At present, the fountain is equipped with technologies that allow it to run automatically, and with reduced energy consumption.

The mosaic, made more than 80 years ago, was too degraded to be restored in situ. It was removed with the approval of the Culture Ministry, restored and reattached to the monument after the consolidation works were finished.

Last year, Apa Nova inaugurated the refurbished fountains in Bucharest’s Unirii Square, following an investment of EUR 7 million. The World Record Academy has recently recognized the fountains in Bucharest’s Unirii Square as “the longest choreographed fountain system” in the world.

(Photos: Gabriela Firea on Facebook)

editor@romania-insider.com