Cotroceni National Museum

Cotroceni is the only residence all over the Romanian land which has been continuously inhabited since the late 17th century up to now. Consequently, the Government Decision no. 478 of 10th July 1991 stipulated the setting up of the Cotroceni National Museum as a nation representative establishment under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture.

On 27th December 1991 the old wing of the palace was opened to the public and later, by the government decision no. 1279, on 20th December 2001 the Museum was placed under the authority of the Presidential Administration. The Museum operates inside the Cotroceni Palace, a historical monument representative of the late 19th century Romanian architecture that remarkably embodied part of the architectural features of the monastery established by Şerban Cantacuzino, Prince of Wallachia, in the late 17th century.

Its uniqueness is granted by the interfusion of a 350 year history memorial site, with that of an art museum. Its halls and apartments have a tremendous evocative power, as the focus is put not only upon the inherent value of the various artefacts, but especially on their connection with the personalities that have lived in the palace throughout the years.

During its 25 years of existence, the Cotroceni National Museum has gained an important place within the Romanian social and cultural space as a modern establishment whose organising and cultural projects aim at keeping pace with the new trends of the contemporary museology. Various scientific and exhibition programmes have been carried out on topics as history, history of arts from the medieval period to the present and on restoration and conservation work. „Historical restitutions” is one of the projects of this establishment which, although having various names, it has kept a single goal, to draw the community’s attention on personalities unfairly forgotten or on disappeared historical monuments. The main purpose is to reconsider the activity of artists, politicians, or outstanding events in the Romanian history and culture and bring them back to the collective memory.

https://www.presidency.ro/en/presidential-administration/cotroceni-national-museum

Photo: Britchi Mirela