After passing through Paris and London, it’s time for a little interlude of respite, so I propose you to stop for a little while in the skittish small plaza Napoleon III, a place situated at the crossroads between Paris, London and Hague Streets.
In an oasis of verdure, a bust of this historical figure is placed, on the pedestal the following text being written:
“NAPOLEON III
EMPEROR OF FRANCE
1852-1870
A GREAT FRIEND OF THE ROMANIANS”
The statue dominating the square represents a donation. We can find this information right from the pedestal, where the following text appears: “donated to the City of Bucharest by the Romanian Historical Foundation, president Mrs. Ioana Cacip, and erected with the support of Bouygues Society Romania.”
The square is an oasis of deep green during the summer and of tones in a blend of golden, yellow, brown and chestnut during the fall, when nature gets into slumber. Around the little plaza that hosts the bust of Napoleon III, stand erect an agglomeration of buildings clad with various architectural styles, reminiscent of the Bucharest between the two World Wars.
Any traveler getting to this area will ask himself why Napoleon received such a recognition from the Romanian nation. The answer is simple: the destiny of our country is directly connected to the course of Napoleon III, who played an important role during one of the major historical events of the Romanians: The Little Union.
Decisive for the history of the Romanian people, the union of the Romanian Principalities in 1859 – labeled subsequently “the Little Union” – could be accomplished, against the backdrop of an extremely favorable popular current, and by considerable diplomatic endeavors. Vital in the accomplishment of the union was also the support of a number of great world leaders at the time.
Possessed of distinguished merits in his leadership, especially in the economic and industrial realms, Napoleon III, Emperor of France between 1852-1879, left behind in his country as a main legacy the systematized Paris as we know it today. Nevertheless, he is not counted among the favorite leaders of the French.
On the other hand, the Romanians are grateful to him for the fundamental support he granted during the events preceding and during 1859, and were keen to display their gratitude by dedicating to him a beautiful small plaza in the heart of the capital, flanked on one side by a street bearing the name of the capital of the state he ruled.
The Shady Hague Street
Out of this little plaza breaks away discreetly the Hague Street – shady and with skittish mansions, reaching at the other end to Rome Street, somehow behind the National College I. L. Caragiale, out of whose courtyard one can hear during the week days, gleeful voices of children.
All the mansions on this street are impressive, being possessed with at the most one story and an attic. They are built in the neo-Romanian style, some having details of Moorish influence. The neo-Romanian style began to be very appreciated by the affluent Romanians during the first years of the 20th century, and combines Eastern-Byzantine elements, local peasant architectural and ethnographic motifs, certain influences of Ottoman art and even themes of late Italian Renaissance. Romanian architects have experimented and explored the blending of the traditional elements with those in the modernity, in the attempt to create a representative architectural style for the Old Kingdom.
Thus, the edifices at Nos. 1st, 3rd, 7th and 9th, built during the first half of the 20th century, typical for this architectural style, are historical monuments within B Category. Robust, with generous windows, arched, the bow creates the sensation that is leaning against the ground. As regards the neo-Romanian arcade, the situation is quite the opposite: it affords the sensation that it remains suspended, hanging down from the sky, the arches not being possessed of columns to lean against, whereas the details of laced brickwork gives the whole street a warm, mysterious and calm atmosphere in spite of, or perhaps due to, the rich canopy of the trees guarding on both sidewalks.
If I have convinced you to visit Hague, we are waiting you on Washington as well.
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