The Kretzulescu Church is a category A listed monument with 4.7 on Google from more than 1,100 reviews; the Memorial of Rebirth has 4.1 from more than 2,100.
About the place
Until 1989 the square was called Palace Square. On 21 December 1989, Nicolae Ceaușescu's speech from the balcony of the former Communist Party Central Committee building turned into a revolt, and the next day he fled by helicopter from its roof; the building now houses the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In front of it stands the Memorial of Rebirth, Alexandru Ghilduș's 25-metre monument unveiled in 2005.
In the south-west corner is the Kretzulescu Church, built in 1720–1722 by Iordache Crețulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, with bare brick façades and interior paintings by Gheorghe Tattarescu. On the north side are the Central University Library, opened in 1895 and rebuilt after the 1989 fire, and the equestrian statue of King Carol I, recreated in 2010 after Ivan Meštrović's model.
Good to know
- According to the parish schedule, Sunday Matins at the Kretzulescu Church start at 8:00 and the Liturgy at 9:30; enter quietly during the service.
- The National Museum of Art fills the west side of the square, and the Romanian Athenaeum is about 300 m to the north.
- From the square, Calea Victoriei takes you on foot to the Old Town in about 10 minutes to the south, or to Piața Victoriei in about 25 minutes to the north.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.