The Dicasterial Palace

The House with the Lions is located in Union Square, on the north side, being the first house to be built in this square, in Baroque style, dated 1758. Over time, the House with the Lions had several names, depending on its destination. Since 1840, the building was successively home to the "La Soarele de Aur" ("The Golden Sun") tavern, the "La Câinele Alb" ("The White Dog") grocery store and the "La Fluierul Mare" ("The Big Flute") shop. Early twentieth century, when the building belonged to the Weiss family, it was rebuilt in the Secession style, which is when the two life-size carved lions were added on the roof, thus dominating the façade of the house up to present day. The building is known as the "House with the Lions" or the "Weiss-Grünbaum Trade House". Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The House with the Iron Axis is one of the landmarks of the city. Is it known that in the eighteenth century each house in Timișoara had to wear an emblem in order to be recognized. The house located at 1 Ionel I.C. Brătianu Square has an iron axis with a length of 2.5 meters attached to it, resembling the axle of a cart and mounted at the wall intersection. There isn't much historical data, but according to the legend, the iron axis is the axle from Prince Eugene of Savoya's cart, in which he drove into the city on October 18, 1716, defeating the Turks. Text and photo sources: http://www.opiniatimisoarei.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Brück House is an architectural jewel of Timișoara, built in Art Nouveau and Secession styles, with Hungarian folk motifs. The house is located on 9 Mercy St., on the corner of Union Square, and it was erected in 1910, based on the plans of architects Székely László and Arnold Merbl, at the initiative of the then owner, Salamon Brück. After the construction of the building in 1910, Salamon Brück opened at the ground floor a pharmacy that is still working today, preserving some of the old furniture. Over time, the building has been damaged. Lucky that an Italian, Gianluca Testa, who came to Timișoara on business in 1997, realised the historical importance, as well as the value of the property where he had acquired an apartment in 1999. He did not over think it, but took the initiative to restore the building, after obtaining the necessary permits from the relevant authorities. The rehabilitation works were aimed not only at the façade of the building, but also at the interior, thus both the stairway and the rooms were restored, the costs of the work amounting to 300,000 Euros. The building has regained its shine, catching the eye of all those who make it to downtown Timișoara. Text and photo sources: https://www.facebook.com/Casa-Bruck; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The construction of the Roman-Catholic Episcopal Palace, located at 4 Augustin Pacha St. started in 1743, when the building was donated by Empress Maria Theresa to the Roman-Catholic Episcopacy. Starting the year 1783, the building became the permanent residence of the Catholic Bishop. In terms of architectural style, the Baroque style may be identified, while the portal is decorated with some rococo elements. The Roman-Catholic Bishopric of Timișoara is considered to the successor of the Bishopric of Cenad, founded in 1030. Once transferred to Timișoara in 1738, it became the Bishopric of Timișoara in 1930. In the post-war period, the Bishopric was closed down, and it continued its activity as a simple Deanship. After 1990 it was reactivated and the building was recovered. Now it hosts a museum, where statues, paintings and other religios exhibits may be seen. Upstairs there are eight huge stained glass windows depicting saints and martyrs of the Hungarian Catholic community. They were rescued and hidden in communist times. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Weiss Palace, located at 2 Bulevardul Republicii, was built in 1912 for the Weiss family. The building was designed by Arnold Merbl Co., based on Adalbert Szladek's plans, and the pediment was redesigned by architect Székely László. The architectural style is Eclectic, influenced by the 1900s style, with elements typical of the Secession trend. The main pediment of the building faces the town theatre, while the ground floor houses several shops. The Palace comprises 27 residential apartments, and the building entrance is on Sf.Ioan St. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Széchenyi Palace is located at 8 Victory Square. It was built between 1900 and 1914 by the Széchényi Company, based on architect László Székely's plans. It is considered to be the most beautiful building in Victory Square, due to its rich decorations, statues and bas-reliefs adorning it. The Széchenyi Palace was designed in the style of the 1900s, with elements typical of the Secession trend. Architect László Székely had his office in this building. Architect Michael Wolf performed his professional practice in this office. Later, he took over Székely's office. In the interwar period, Wolf became one of the best architects in Timişoara. Text source: http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

Built between 1910 and 1912, in the style of the 1900s, with elements typical of the Secession trend. Thus stands Lloyd Palace at 2 Victory Square. The building was designed by architect Leopold Baumhorn and stands on three floors, with façades decorated and adorned with statues. For a long time, the Lloyd Palace housed the Agricultural Stock Exchange and the Lloyd Club. In 1948, the building became known as the Politechnica Palace, home to the Rectorate of the Politechnical University of Timișoara. Among the decorative elements of the building, remnants of panels, mirrors, stained glass windows and a few chandeliers are still preserved. The entrance hall is very nicely decorated. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Serbian Orthodox Bishopric, located in Union Square of Timișoara, is one of the monumental buildings of this town. The Palace was built between 1745 and 1748, in the times of Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Timișoara, Gheorghie Popovici. From the architectural point of view, the building was designed in Byzantine style, originally one storey high, as typical Baroque elements were introduced, according to architect László Székely's plans. In 1911 decorations taken from the Serbian architecture were added. Above the entrance gate, one can see the coat of arms of the Serbian Orthodox Bishopric of Timișoara. The Palace was meant to be an Episcopal residence, as it was an important centre for the Orthodox faith and culture. Since 1967, The Serbian Orthodox Bishopric has been housing a rich collection of religious art from the 17th to the 19th centuries, consisting of wood and canvas icons, prints brought from Orthodox churches and monasteries, old books, silverware, portraits of Serbian Orthodox bishops. Also, an extremely valuable library and archive are housed here, where the original plans of the palace are kept. Text source: http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Dauerbach Palace, also known as the Palace, is a monumental building, located in Victory Square of Timișoara. Built between 1912 and 1913, based on the plans of famous architect László Székely, the edifice impresses through the harmonious combination of architectural styles of the era: Eclectic, Art Nouveau and Baroque. The façade of the building was executed in a special way, being structured into one central and two side parts. The central side is also divided into 3 higher parts, with three pediments at the roof level, in the shape of an ogival accolade. The sides each have 2 pillars, and at the upper level - a pediment and a lower roof. Ever since the inauguration of the building, the Palace restaurant and café were opened at the ground floor, as well as the first open-air terrace in town. For a very long time, the restaurant was one of the most appreciated ones among the local high society. On the northern corner of the building, a pharmacy used to work in 1913, which is still enjoying a good reputation in town. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/