Cișmigiu Gardens
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The Cișmigiu Gardens or Cișmigiu Park () are a public
park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
in the center of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, spanning areas on all sides of an artificial lake. The gardens' creation was an important moment in the
history of Bucharest The history of Bucharest covers the time from the early settlements on the locality's territory (and that of the surrounding area in Ilfov County) until its modern existence as a city, capital of Wallachia, and present-day capital of Romania. ...
. They form the oldest and, at , the largest park in city's central area. The main entrance is from Elisabeta Boulevard, in front of the General City Hall of Bucharest; there is another major entrance at the Știrbei Vodă Street, near the Crețulescu Palace. The southwestern corner of the park is adjacent to the prestigious Gheorghe Lazăr National College. The park attracts an average of 5,100 visitors on a weekend day.


Landmarks

The ''Rondul Român'' ("Romanian Round") or ''Rotonda Scriitorilor'' ("Writers' Rotunda") is a circular alley which has stone busts of twelve important Romanian writers:
Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...
, Alexandru Odobescu,
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Culture of Romania, Romanian culture in ...
,
Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
, George Coșbuc,
Ștefan Octavian Iosif Ștefan Octavian Iosif (; 11 October 1875 – 22 June 1913) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet and translator. Life Born in Brașov, Transylvania (part of Austria-Hungary at the time), he studied in his native town and in Sibiu befor ...
, Ion Creangă, Alexandru Vlahuță, Duiliu Zamfirescu, Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu,
Nicolae Bălcescu Nicolae Bălcescu () (29 June 181929 November 1852) was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution. Early life Born in Bucharest to a family of low-ranking nobility, he used his mother ...
and Vasile Alecsandri. ''Monumentul Eroilor Francezi'' ("The Monument of French Heroes") commemorates French soldiers who died fighting during the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Romanian Campaign. Made in Carrara marble, the French monument was created by the Romanian sculptor Ion Jalea and was inaugurated on 25 October 1922. The sculptural work ''Izvorul Sissi Stefanidi'', was created by Ioan C. Dimitriu Bârlad (1890–1964), and it depicts a mother, aggrieved by the death of her daughter, pouring water from a pitcher. ''Monumentul Eroilor Americani '' ("The Monument of American Heroes") commemorates the 378 US soldiers who died in Romania during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The granite sculpture is the work of the artist Remus Botarro; it was officially inaugurated in 2002 by the Romanian Government and the American Embassy in Bucharest. Other statues located in Cișmigiu are the one of journalist George Panu, sculpted by Gheorghe Horvath, and of writer and
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
activist Maica Smara (1854–1944), sculpted by Mihai Onofrei.


History

The park was built in 1847, at a time when Bucharest was the capital of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
, on a site formerly known as ''Lacul lui Dura neguțătorul'' (the "Lake of Dura the merchant"), or simply as ''Dura''.Giurescu, p.21, 128 The pool it replaced was a popular site for fishing from as early as the 17th century, and was inhabited by
mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
colonies. A part of the present-day gardens was occupied by a
vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
, which was planted around a water source: the latter had been tapped during the
bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...
epidemic of 1795, when the two sons of
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
Alexander Mourousis took refuge in the largely uninhabited zone. The decision to replace the lake was taken in 1846, during a period of Imperial Russian administration introduced by '' Regulamentul Organic''. It was based on an earlier proposal made by Russian governor Pavel Kiselyov in 1830, and on various small-scale works had first been undertaken in 1837.Giurescu, p.392 The initiative, countersigned by Prince Gheorghe Bibescu, was part of a series of major public works, and the plan dates back to 1844.Giurescu, p.128 On 27 February 1845, the area passed into public ownership through a princely decree.Giurescu, p.128, 392 In 1843, Bibescu had called on experts in
horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
and planning to join in the effort to restructure the city gardens. As a result, two citizens of the
German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...
, the horticulturist Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Meyer and his assistant, the gardener Franz Hörer, arrived in Bucharest, where their first work involved the floral arrangements on each side of
Șoseaua Kiseleff ''Șoseaua Kiseleff'' (''Kiseleff Road'') is a major road in Bucharest, Romania. Situated in Sector 1 (Bucharest), Sector 1, the boulevard runs as a northward continuation of Calea Victoriei. History The road was created in 1832 by Pavel Kisel ...
. They were to become involved in redesigning Dura area: Meyer was responsible for setting up the new lanes, for planting new floral species, as well as for setting up a Romantic landscape with rocks leading down to the lake. The central lake was connected to the Dâmbovița River through a canal. The gardens were ultimately inaugurated on 23 September 1847, and Meyer was appointed their administrator in 1848. The word ''cișmigiu'' comes from Turkish: a ''Ceșme'' is a public fountain and a ''cișmigiu'' (or ''cișmegiu'') used to be the person responsible for building and maintaining public fountains. The name replaced older references to Dura, and was coined by the public because, at the time, the administrator of Bucharest fountains was living on park grounds, in a house located between the central lake and Sărindar quarter. Cișmigiu continued to be developed by Meyer long after its official inauguration: in 1870, the horticulturist laid out a plan to redesign the lanes, to introduce an
artesian aquifer An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...
, and to create a
kiosk Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...
for an orchestra. He also proposed to have
gondola The gondola (, ; , ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, in a scul ...
s carrying visitors over the lake. By 1851, new species of trees were brought in:
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...
s from
Gorj County Gorj County () is a county () of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu. ''Gorj'' comes from the Slavic ''Gornji'' Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with Dolnji (“lower Jiu”). Demographics At the 2011 census, the count ...
,
walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...
s from
Dâmbovița County Dâmbovița County (; also spelt Dîmbovița) is a county () of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Târgoviște, the most important economic, political, administrative and cultural center of the county. It is a traditional administra ...
, and other plants from places such as
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
. At the same time, the lanes were reinforced with debris from the ruins of
Curtea Nouă Curtea Nouă (, ''New Court'') was the residence of the List of rulers of Wallachia, Princes of Wallachia between 1776 and 1812. Located near the Mihai Vodă Monastery, on Dealul Spirii in Bucharest, it was built between 1775 and 1776 during the ...
and Zlătari area. Works were completed despite Meyer's sudden death as a result of
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
in August 1852. The park was clearly delimited after Bucharest became capital of the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
: in 1871, Academiei Boulevard was extended to its western side, and, in 1890, under
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
Pache Protopopescu, Elisabeta Boulevard was created on its southern side. During the 1860s, Bucharest was visited by the
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
activist and philosopher Ferdinand Lassalle, who argued that "Cișmigiu exceeds by far anything Germany has to offer". In 1882, the gardens were fitted with electrical lighting. Seven years later, the Gheorghe Lazăr High School was built on its southwestern corner (it was to be extended during the 1930s). During the late 19th and early 20th century, Cișmigiu became noted for housing the ''Thierry Restaurant'', kept by a Frenchman, and various amateur photographers who made affordable portraits. The building in front of the park was assigned to the
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
during the
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
. Meyer was succeeded in his office of garden administrator by other Germans: Ulrich Hoffman, Wilhelm Knechtel, and Friedrich Rebhuhn. It was Rebhuhn who, after 1910, redesigned many parts of the gardens to their present-day appearance. In 1990, the park served as the location for Elder Russell M. Nelson of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
to pronounce a dedicatory blessing over the country of Romania.


In fiction

Cișmigiu, a traditional meeting spot for Bucharesters, is referred to in several literary works. These notably include several sketch stories by
Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...
, two of them involving the collective character Mitică, who has survived in common reference as a
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
of Bucharesters. In the eponymous 1900 sketch, the voluble Mitică notably refers to a friend of his having been laid off from his job, an event which he sarcastically disguises as a promotion to "chasing flies out of Cișmigiu". In another such piece, titled ''1 Aprilie'' ("The First of April"), the gardens are the scene of a dramatic incident which involves the death of another or the same Mitică. A character named Caracudi, whom Caragiale invented as a caricature of inventive journalists, is shown to elaborate his sensationalist articles while relaxing in various locations of the city, one of which is Cișmigiu. Șerban Cioculescu, ''Caragialiana'', Editura Eminescu, Bucharest, 1974, p.114. A novel by Grigore Băjenaru, titled ''Cișmigiu et comp.'', traces events in the life of high school students who spend much of their time in the park. The novel ' The Great Fortune' (1960), part of the Balkan Trilogy series by English writer
Olivia Manning Olivia Mary Manning (2 March 1908 – 23 July 1980) was a British novelist, poet, writer, and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in the United Kingdom, Euro ...
has several scenes set in the gardens.


Gallery

File:Cismigiu Lake 1.jpg, Fountain on Cișmigiu Lake File:Gradina Cismigiu, Bucuresti sect. 5 (nimfa in elesteu).JPG, Statue File:Bucarest, parco cismigiu 01.JPG, Bridge File:Cismigiu - rowboats.jpg, Rowboats on the lake File:Cismigiu-Garden-Bucharest-6.jpg, The main entrance File:Cişmigiu Gardens (2438863237).jpg, A flower carpet File:Cismigiu-Garden-Bucharest-3.jpg, Little bridge File:Cygnus atratus -Cismigiu Gardens, Bucharest, Romania -two swimming-8a.jpg, Black Swans File:Bucharest - evening in Grădinile Cișmigiu 03.jpg, Outdoor bar on an autumn evening


Notes


References

* Constantin C. Giurescu, ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'', Editura Pentru Literatură, Bucharest, 1966.


External links

* (1935–1936) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cismigiu 1840s establishments in Wallachia 1847 establishments in Europe Gardens in Romania Parks in Bucharest Historic monuments in Bucharest