Foto:WikimediaThe Cotroceni Palace is the Presidency Headquarters of Romania. The building is located in Bucharest on . Geniului Av. at number one.
In 1679 Mr. Serban Cantacuzino built on the Cotroceni hill a monastery. The church and it's annexes were built in two years and the work of Cantacuzino was continued by Constantin Brancoveanu, who frequently stopped at the monastery.
In 1862, Alexandru Ioan Cuza decided to use as a summer residence the Cotroceni Monastery.
In the year 1900, in the early reign of King Carol I of Romania received the old royal houses from Cotroceni as summer residence. Carol I decided to build arround the monastery a palace for the heirs of the crown, as an official residence in Bucharest.
The plans for the building were made by the architect Paul Gottereau in a classic Venetian style.
In 1883 the Government opens a credit of 1.700.000 lei to construct the Cotroceni Palace. The construction started in 1888.
Later, the Romanian architect Grigore Cerchez redesigned the north section in the national romanic style, adding a large space with a terrace above and two turrets with columns. One of the two turrets was a copy of the famous turret from the Hurez Monastery.
Queen Maria and King Ferdinand moved to Cotroceni Palace in March 1896.
Between 1949 and 1976 the Cotroceni Palace became the Pioneers Palace for schoolchildren and educational programs.
After the revolution from 1989, the Cotroceni Palace became the official residece for the President of Romania.
