As part of the “Doing School Differently” program, over 1,000 students visited the Patriarchal Palace in March.
The groups of students came from Bucharest and throughout Romania. The young people study at schools such as Bucharest’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, The Three Holy Hierarchs High School, “Mihai Viteazul” National College, “Mihai Eminescu” National College and “Tudor Arghezi” High School.
“The young visitors were delighted to discover this special place in the heart of the capital. Although some already knew the Patriarchal Cathedral, most stepped inside the Palace for the first time,” Miruna-Maria Iftene, a guide at the Patriarchal Palace, told Basilica.ro.
The guide also said, “Visiting the rooms of the former Palace of the Chamber of Deputies, the students participated in a lesson that combined history and spirituality; they expressed their desire to return with their parents.”
On January 24, 1859, the Assembly of Deputies convened at the location of the modern Palace of the Patriarchate to elect Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince of the unified Romanian Principalities.
The new building of the Chamber of Deputies was built in 1906-1911 after the design of Romanian architect Dimitrie Maimarolu, but by the 1990s, it had become hazardous.
In 2010, the edifice was transferred to the Romanian Patriarchate, and the Church spent four years developing a plan to get European funding for the Palace’s rehabilitation.
Following securing €18 million in EU financing, the restoration work was completed at record speed over the course of two years, with up to 500 individuals working at times.
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel blessed the renovated Palace on June 6, 2016. On January 9, 2017, public access was restored.
Photography courtesy of the Patriarchal Palace / Miruna-Maria Iftene