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The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral
The project for this impressive building was drawn by the architect Ioan Trainescu. The construction took place between 1936 and 1940; seven years later, Romania`s King Michael came to Timisoara as founder of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Its aniversary is that of the Holy Three Hierarchs and of St. Joseph the New from Partos – Timisoara`s first Metropolitan bishop (1650-1653). |
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The Union Square Dome
Very few people in Timisoara refer to the Roman-Catholic Dome in any other way than “The Union Square Dome”. 265 years have passed since the first stone had been set in its foundation. The edifice was finished after 38 years, in 1774. The Baroque style featured in other surrounding buildings has marked the Dome as well. It would be very difficult to emphasize a single characteristic of this church. In addition to the amazing outside shape and the works by Vienna`s master painters on its nine altars, the inside space benefits from a special acoustic quality. Therefore, the Dome attracts many organ music fans, whenever concerts are held here. |
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The Opera House and the National Theatre
The „Franz Josef” Theatre was built between 1872 – 1775 according to the projects designed by the „Helmer and Fellner” Office from Vienna. The features of the building belong to the style of the Italian Renaissance. Shortly after the finalisation of the construction workings, on April 30th 1880, the theatre was almost entirely distructed by a fire outburst. In 1920, another fire destroys once more the Theatre. |
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Victory Square
The present name was given by the local authorities after the anti-communist Revolution from December 1989. Until then, people refered to it as the “Opera Square”, after the name of Timisoara`s main cultural attraction – the Romanian Opera House. This is the place where tens of thousands held many political demonstrations, founded the “Free of Communism - Area”, enthusiastically calebrated the victories of Romania`s national football team or simply took a stroll on holidays. The square used to be a simple alley in 1910, but later turned into King Ferdinand’s Boulevard until 1947, then into December 30 Boulevard and, eventually, back to the old name of King Ferdinand’s Boulevard. Once the Center had expanded and had its two extremities closed by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the restored National Theatre, the area was accurately separated from other squares and parks. Later, two more monuments were added to the premises: the “Fish Fountain” and the “She-Wolf”. |
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The Piarist Church
The Piarist Church and Highschool was built between 1908 – 1904, with the ministerial authorization issued on the 26th of March 1907. The building project was designed by Alexandru Baumgarten, a technical expert, whereas the detailed plans of the building were designed by the City Engineers’ Office. Both buildings were raised by the construction masters from Arnold Merbl & Co under the supervision of the architect Ladislau Szekely. |
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The Hunyade Castle
In the early fourteenth century, the Hungarian King Carol Robert of Anjou sets his residence in Timisoara. Between 1307 and 1315, many Italian masters would help raise the royal castle. Almost a century and a half later, the building was to be reconstructed by Iancu de Hunedoara, in 1443-1447. Over the years, the Castle has been destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions. Its original shape remained the same, and the façade has kept its look since 1856. Until the end of the Second World War, the Castle’s function was that of hosting military barracks. Since the end of the Second World War, the impressive building became the Banat Museum. |
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Liberty Square and the Saint John Nepomuk Statue
For over two centuries (1737-1949), Timisoara`s City Council worked in the building situated in the Liberty Square, known as the “Old City Hall”. It has been raised on the site of an ancient Turkish bath, following the plans drawn in 1734 by an architect called Pietro del Bonzo. Two restoration works took place in 1782 and 1935. A monument of St. Mary, carved in Vienna in 1740, stands in front of the Old City Hall, marking the end of the great plague endemic that hit Timisoara in the early eighteenth century. Originally placed in the area of today`s Continental Hotel, the statue was cut into pieces in 1752 and brought to the place where it stands today. In 1994, the local artist Ioan Oprescu restored the monument, following an initiative of the Banater Schwaben Association in Germany. |
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The Serbian Orthodox Vicarage and the Rascian Cathedral
In the early eighteenth century, a small wooden church functioned in the Union Square. In time, the Serbian Community from Timisoara transformed it into a beautiful Baroque-style cathedral. Built from 1745 to 1748, the church was later restored and two towers were added, in 1791. Its new name – the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral – came in 1865. Thirty-five years ago, the edifice was declared a national monument. The restoration in 2002 gave the Rascian Cathedral the look it has today. |
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Saint George Square
In the Saint George Square, on the premises of today’s Bega Supermarket, the greatest Roman-Catholic church in Timisoara, established in 1323, was arising. In 1552, when the Turkish army occupied Timisoara for a long time, the chruch was transformed into a mosque called by the Turks the Great Mosque. |
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The Cathedral in the Lahovary Square
The Lahovary Square is definetely marked by the Roman-Catholic church located there. The foundation stone was set in 1912, but was dated in 1914. The church was built in pure Neogothic style by the architect Karl Salcovics. The five altars inside the church were carved by Ferdinand Stuflesser from Ortisei (Italian Tirol). |
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Buildings in the Josefin Quarter
The Josefin is along with the Cetate and Fabric districts one of the main historical centres of Timisoara. Thus, the importance of the district is a very high one for the city. Since 1773 the suburb called at that time „The New Maiers” is renamed after the Emperor Joseph II. The railway station and the Bega Channel situated in the Josefin district are the main reasons for the economic development of the area. Until 1912, most of the houses there were overstaged or replaced with two-storied buildings. In 1914 the Josefin was the district with 53 stores and 63 manufacturers’ workshops, while 40 trains were daily entering the Timisoara Railway Station (the Budapest-Vienna fast train and the Orient-Express are to be mentioned here). |
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The Baroque Palace
The building in the Union Square bears this name since 1754. Prior to that date, it hosted the Mining Office (1733) and the Military Financial Office (1735). Over the years, the Baroque Palace was the official residence of Banat`s Austrian governors and Timis County rulers, until 1848. From 1849 to 1860, this was the headquarter of Serbian Vojvodina and Timis-Banat government, and in 1861 the Timis County officials set their headquarters here for the second time. Between the two World Wars, the Timis-Torontal Prefect’s Office functioned in the Baroque Palace. Between 1944 and 1958, Soviet troops were stationed here. After that, it was the Agricultural Institute`s turn to have its headquarters in the building, before the Banat Museum took it over and put it under a complex process of restoration. |
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The Monument of the Holy Trinity
The statue is located right in the middle of the Union Square, in accordance with the architectural style of the surrounding buildings. The foundation stone for this monument was set on November 23rd 1740 by the Counsellor of the Local Administration at that time, Johann Anton Deschau von Hannsen. The statue’s purpose was to remind of the plague endemic which had made lots of victims in Timisoara and in the entire region of Banat. The monument is made of sandstone and bears an extraordinary artistic value considering that it was carved in Vienna, following the features of the Baroque style, and was consequently shipped to Timisoara on the Danube and Tisa rivers and, eventually, on the Bega Channel. |
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The Synagogue in Fabric
One of the most beautiful buildings in Timisoara is the Israeli Church in the Fabric district, built up in 1899 by an architect from Budapest, Lipot Baumhorn, in an architectural Moorish style. Unlike other historical buildings in the city, this one has kept its original purpose, that of a Israeli halidom. |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral |
"It is not easy to choose a few images that are representative for Timisoara as a whole. Much more than you find in this album is necessary to give you an idea of what Timisoara means, its beauty, its architectural and cultural richness. Gh. Ciuhandu, Mayor of Timisoara - 2005
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