Patriarchate Palace in Bucharest ready for EUR 15 mln facelift

The century old Patriarchate Palace in Bucharest will undergo renovations worth some EUR 15 million. Owned by the Orthodox Church via the Romanian Patriarchy, the Palace, built in the beginning of the 20th century will be renovated by Aedificia Carpaţi, which won the bid earlier this year, according to the online public bids system e-licitatie.ro. Work on the building will be financed with EU money via the Regional Operational Program. The palace was built in early 20th century on the Mitropoliei hill, now close to the Unirii square, on a land plot which hosted the Deputies' Assembly. The Palace was designed by architect Dimitrie Maimarolu, and in time was modified, including after the 1940 earthquake, when its cupola collapsed. In December 1989, the building was given to the Romanian Patriarchy, and since 2010, the building has been fully owned by the Patriarchy. The palace has four large halls for events, hosting between 50 and 900 people each, as well as five smaller rooms, and a reception hall for up to 400 people. editor@romania-insider.com (photos from icpe.ro and the Romanian Patriarchy)