Romanian Athenaeum

"A launch pad for music and culture The 128-year-old Ateneul Român is a concert hall located in Bucharest's Constitution Square that has an extraordinary acoustic resonance and served as a launching pad for George Enescu, Clara Haskil, Ion Voicu and many others. With a remarkable history, the Athenaeum has hosted, among others, concerts by the famous Richard Strauss, Sergei Prokofiev and Wilhelm Bakhaus. The foundation of the Romanian Athenaeum The idea to build an atheneum was born as early as 1865 when the members of the Cultural Society "Atheneul Român", including Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia, Constantin Esarcu, Alexandru Odobescu and Carol Rosetti, decided to build an edifice dedicated to Romanian arts, science and culture. It was only in 1884 that the society received the land on which the Athenaeum is now located - land that previously belonged to the Văcărești family and which wanted to build a circus and a riding school. The Romanian Equestrian Society had already started erecting the stables, as a result the Athenaeum project was designed in such a way as to use the already existing foundations - which also gave the circular shape of the building. The budget for the construction of the Romanian Athenaeum was raised by the organization of a national lottery by Esarcu, the founder of the "Romanian Athenaeum" Society, during which 500,000 tickets, each worth one leu, were put up for sale. The slogan of this lottery, which became very popular at the time, was "Give a lion for the Athenaeum". Also Constantin Esarcu, on the recommendation of one of the greatest French architects, Charles Garnier, the author of the famous Paris Opera House, appointed the French architect Albert Galleron the main designer of the Romanian Athenaeum. His team included the Romanian architects Ion Mincu, Grigore Cerchez, Constantin Olănescu and Ion Cantacuzino. The construction of the Athenaeum took place in two stages. The first stage took place between 1886 and 1889, although in 1888 part of the building was given for use. It was then that the main body containing the grand concert hall and dome was completed. The second stage, between 1893 and 1897, consisted of expanding the building with a new wing located towards Nicolae Golescu Street and adding a monumental staircase (designed by the architect Leonida Negrescu) to the rotunda on the ground floor."

"Architectural building, a lot of history and you hear the acoustics inside are amazing. It has a beautiful garden out front. It is use as a concert place. You can buy tickets and listen amazing concert. Enjoy!"

"A splendid architectural gem nestled in the heart of the city. The Athenaeum is not merely a concert hall, it's a living testament to Romania's artistic soul. "