Palace of the Patriarchate

Beneath the watchful gaze of the eagle atop the Palace of the Patriarchate’s cupola, a story unfolds. The Palace of the Patriarchate stands on Dealul Mitropoliei, once a vineyard of Romanian voivodes and monks. This location wasn’t accidental. The Metropolitan, traditionally unable to leave his residence, was the ex officio president of the boyars, the only citizens with voting rights. Thus, legislative meetings occurred at the Metropolitanate. Monks’ cells were transformed into a building for official sessions. The Palace of the Patriarchate replaced an earlier structure in 1907, designed by architect Dimitrie Maimarolu. The previous building, a refurbished princely divan with an amphitheater akin to Berlin’s Reichstag, hosted deputies in a semi-circular seating arrangement. Public access was limited to non-legislative hours, with citizen attendance requiring a deputy’s signature and foreigners needing embassy approval. The current Palace of the Patriarchate boasts an 80-meter neo-classical façade. The entrance is highlighted by a peristyle with six Ionic columns. The cupola, similar to the Romanian Athenaeum’s, is adorned with windows and topped by an eagle. Two side wings flank the main façade. The northeast side façade, symmetrical and imposing, is decorated with two levels of pilasters. From United Nations Street, all four levels are visible: a stone base, a carved second level, the main entrance level accessible from the cathedral, and the topmost level. The Palace of the Patriarchate, once a meeting place for Romania’s lawmakers, now serves as a testament to the intertwining of religious and civic history.