The Christescu House (Casa Christescu) is a historic residence built around 1890 on Alexandru Ioan Cuza Boulevard in central Brăila. Also known as the Former Marriage House (Fosta Casă a Căsătoriilor), it is distinguished by its elaborate entrance, which combines Neoclassical architecture with Baroque-inspired sculptural decoration.
The house belonged to the Christescu family, whose members included Petru P. Christescu, a merchant who worked for 22 years as an official broker at the Brăila Commodity and Grain Exchange. Its otherwise symmetrical facade is dominated by an oversized pediment above the arched entrance. At its center, two sculpted figures support an ornamental cartouche bearing the initials C. P., surrounded by scrolls, garlands, and a Greek palmette. Below, another pair of figures flanks the doorway, which is sheltered by a canopy resembling a large seashell.
The property was nationalized in 1950, when the Christescu family was evicted. It subsequently accommodated Soviet military officers, Greek partisans, and other occupants before becoming Brăila’s Marriage House, where civil wedding ceremonies were held for several decades. After this function ended in the 1990s, the building was returned to private ownership and fell into disrepair.
