Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse is a fork-shaped, yellow glass covered
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
d street in central
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Câmpineanu Inn ( ro, Hanul Câmpineanu) once stood in the place nowadays occupied by the passage.
The old Inn was bought by Petros Seraphim, who gifted it to two of his daughters as dowries. Daughter Polixena married in 1843
Xavier Vilacrosse, Chief Architect of Bucharest, 1840–1848, the Inn renamed after him. Daughter Anastasia married Mihalache Macca, who built luxury shops on their part. In the late 1880s, the city decided to buy the sites to build a Western style passage to relieve congestion. It was designed by architect Felix Xenopol, and opened in 1891.
Because the central part of the site was occupied by the Pesht Hotel, which the owner refused to sell, the passage was executed as a two-tined, fork-like shape with two wings around the two sides of the hotel. The narrow streets were covered with a glass roof, allowing the entry of natural light while providing shelter from the rain. The ground floor was meant for shops, while the rooms on the first floor were for rent. One branch of the passage was called Vilacrosse, while the other one was called Macca, after the old owners. The two-tined end opens onto
Calea Victoriei CALEA may refer to:
*Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, an act by the US Congress to facilitate wiretapping of U.S. domestic telephone and Internet traffic
*Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a private accredit ...
, one of Bucharest's main avenues; the other end opens toward the National Bank in the historic
Lipscani
Lipscani is a street and a district of Bucharest, Romania, which from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century was the most important commercial area of the city and Wallachia. It is located near the ruins of the old Princely Court built by Vla ...
district.
Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse hosted the first Stock Exchange House of Bucharest, before a larger and more appropriate structure was built. Between 1950 and 1990 the passage was called ''Pasajul Bijuteria'' ("Jewelry Store Passage"), but the initial name was restored afterwards.
Today it hosts several indoor/outdoor eating establishments, including an Egyptian-themed bar/restaurant, the Blues Cafe, a bistro, a Chinese restaurant and a wine bar.
Inside the Macca Villacrosse Passage
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Image:Macca_Villacrosse_Passage.jpg,
Image:Pasajul Macca-Villacrosse - Vedere Interior.jpg,
Image:Pasajul Macca-Villacrosse.jpg,
Image:Macca-Villacrosse.jpg,
Image:Bucuresti, Romania, Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse (3); B-II-a-A-19837.JPG,
Image:Wise Architectural Option.jpg,
Image:Pasajul Macca- Villacrosse, București.jpg,
Image:Ansamblul arhitectural Pasajul Macca- Villacrosse, detalii.jpg,
Image:Lipscani 1.jpg,
Image:Pasajul Macca 4.jpg,
References
Buildings and structures in Bucharest
Historic monuments in Bucharest
Tourist attractions in Bucharest
Calea Victoriei
Lipscani
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