Today, the Orthodox Romanian Patriarch Residence in Bucharest, Romania, former Patriarchy Palace
The residence has 2 bodies - an old one, on the top of the hill, close to the church, and a modern (1929-31) wing, on the slopes of the hill, with a very nice courtyard bordered by perimeter galleries and loggias (but not able to be visited, is a private area)
Here the main entrance in the new wing. The old wing was at origins the Priory of the former monastery, and was built in the XVII century. From the original building only the huge cellars were preserved 100 %, the ground and upper levels were modified during the XVIII century, where a chapel (Paraclis in Romanian, or winter chapel) was incorporated in the Palace. This cellars are used to keep the Patriarchy wine (had a teacher who was a good friend of the former Patriarch, and told us that there is no better wine in Romania that this one...)
A vaulted passage with an upper porch marks the secondary entrance to the former church courtyard (last pictures). When the Patriarchy received the former Deputy Assembly Palace (on the right side in my pictures) in 1997-2010, appeared a strange wooden bridge in the vaulted passage; I am not sure but it can be a direct passage between the new Patriarchy Palace and the Patriarch Residence.

Tags: Palace Architecture Romania Chapel Porch Bucharest Residence Patriarchy

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