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The Lipscani area
The Lipscani area is a lively part of old Bucharest which polarized
various trades between the 15th-18th centuries. The Lipsca is apparently
the Romanian transcription of the name of Leipzig. and Lipscani was the
name of the merchants who sold goods imported from Leipzig. The Lipscani
is a famous street in the historic downtown of Bucuresti only a few
meters far from the Kilometer number 0 of Romanian Capital .After the
earthquake in 1977, the historic area of Lipscani was often threatened
with demolition; when they started to build the so-called Civic Centre
on Ceausescu s order, in its close vicinity, Lipscani entered an age of
decay and oblivion. It was partially restored after 1990, especially in
the Banks area, but most of the old houses and narrow sloping streets
still wait for some Prince Charming investor who may return to them
their formerly life and glamour.
Even before the official foundation of Bucharest (September 20, 1459),
the Lipscani area represented the heart of the city. Once the political
and economic power concentrated in the area of the Princely Court,
around 1600, a lot of guilds and shops came into being, and that is why
the area would be populated with goldsmiths, hatters, shoemakers,
tanners, furriers, saddlemakers, grocers a.o. Many streets in the area
still bear the names of those tradesmen and craftsmen. Along with the
Romanians, there were communities of Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian,
Armenian, Jewish, Albanian and Austrian merchants. This mixture of
nationalities is relevant for the flourishing trade relationships
established in old Bucharest, to the benefit of both shopkeepers and
customers.
If one takes an imaginary trip back into time, he or she can see the
shopkeepers out in the street near their stores, for they never stood
behind the counter; they would watch people from the outside, encourage
them to buy their merchandise, negotiate prices with them, for each
pedestrian could be a possible customer, and thus contribute to their
wealth.
Luxury and poverty, expensive and cheap commodities were mixed up in the
same manner in which the Eastern world would meet the Western one in
this part of Europe.
There were many inns built in the area for the tradesmen who would stop
by for business in Bucharest, or would be on their way to other cities
and fairs. Most of the formely known inns have not resisted to the test
of time; others can still be seen, like the Inn with Lime Trees (1833)
or the Manuc s Inn (1808) - see also presentation.
When walking along the by-streets of Lipscani, one can still be
impressed by the architecture of the one-storey houses built in
different styles: Renaissance, Baroque, Neo Classic, or sometimes a
mixture of them all, with their fine ornaments, baroque balconies,
classic façades and eclectic decorations.
At the end of Lipscani St., there is the Smârdan St., where one can
find some banks built in the 19th century, i.e. the National Bank (built
between 1883-1885, and conceived by architects Albert Galleron and
Cassien Bernard in neo-classic French style), Ion Tiriac Bank, the Bank
for Agriculture.
After having left the Smârdan St., one reaches the Stavropoleos St.,
well-known for the famous Stavropoleos Church built in 1724 by the Greek
monk Ioanichie, in late brancovan style (see its vegetal decorations:
the belt with floral motives, columns with flowers). Near the church,
there is a "chiostro", a yard with three covered sides, in which there
are columns, slabs and tombstones. The "chiostro" was designed by one of
the most prominent Romanian architects, Ion Mincu who also restored the
church in 1899.
Where Stavropoleos St. meets Victoriei Avenue, there is a famous
restaurant and beer house, i.e. "The Beer Cart" (1879). Both its
façades and interiors are built in Neo-gothic style (see pavement,
columns, arches, chandeliers, wooden staircase, furniture, mural
paintings on the walls and the ceiling). This place was much sought by
famous Romanian literary and political figures, who would often meet
there and discuss topical matters of their time over a mug of beer.
A bit farther, across the street, on the Victoriei Avenue, stands the
Palace of the Savings Bank, an imposing and well-balanced edifice built
in the French academic eclectic style by architect Paul Gottereau. The
palace has a square shape, a large central dome with metallic ribs
separated by glass, which allows natural light to come in; there are
also four smaller domes, whereas the main entrance has a monumental
archway, supported on both sides by two pillars in composite style.
Going back to Smârdan St., one can admire the richly-decorated building
of the Fashion House (1881) built in neo-classic style combined with
Renaissance elements. The interiors are as luxurious as one can expect
for a fashion house: marble staircase, columns with gilt ornanemts,
stained-glass.
The Lipscani commercial area was developed around the Old Princely Court
placed in the Princely St. (the present French St.), the oldest one in
Bucharest. It used to be paved with oak beams by order of Prince
Constantin Brâncoveanu in 1692, and was designed to link his Princely
Court to the Mogosoaia Bridge (today s Victoriei Avenue), which led
right to Brâncoveanu s summer residence at Mogosoaia. The oak beams
come from the rich forests around Bucharest can still be seen at the
entrance of Manuc s Inn (1804-1808), in the close neighbourhood of the
present-day ruins of the Old Princely Court.
May you wish to buy a souvenir like an antique, an art, or a Romanian
folk object, glassware, a household commodity, or would you look after a
fine lady fur coat, the small shops in the Lipscani area are there to
please you.
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