The Palace of the Patriarchate (Palatul Patriarhiei), formerly known as the Palace of the Chamber of Deputies, is a historical monument on Metropolitanate Hill in central Bucharest.
In the 17th century, the site of the current Palace of the Patriarchate was part of a monastic complex surrounding the Patriarchal Cathedral. At that time it was the seat of the Metropolitan, which also had a legislative function. The boyars, which were the only citizens with the right to vote, needed a place to gather and therefore part of the monastic cells were transformed into a dedicated assembly building.
Over time, the old building became outdated and no longer met the requirements of the time so a new palace was to be constructed. The current edifice was built in 1907 and subsequently served as the Palace of the Assembly of Deputies during the era of the Kingdom of Romania, as the Great National Assembly during the communist era, and as the Chamber of Deputies after the 1989 Revolution.
In 1997, the Chamber of Deputies moved to the Palace of the Parliament and the building was handed over to the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church and became the Patriarchate Palace.
The Palace of the Patriarchate was designed by Dimitrie Maimarolu and constructed under the supervision of the engineer George Constantinescu. The building has a Neo-Classical style and its 80-meters-long facade is dominated by the imposing main entrance, which features a peristyle and six Ionic columns.
The roof of the building features a large central dome above the assembly hall, resembling the one on the Romanian Athenaeum. The dome is fitted with glass windows and crowned by the sculpture of an eagle. On 10 November 1940, the dome collapsed due to and earthquake, but was restored afterward.
Inside the palace are various bronze and marble busts and paintings depicting important political figures and scenes from Romania’s history. There is also a library with documentations of parliamentary debates and other important meeting minutes, other official publications and books.
The Palace of the Patriarchate is part of the ensamble of historic buildings on Metropolitanate Hill, which also include the Patriarchal Cathedral, the Patriarchal Residence and Chapel, and the Bell Tower.
