Iași — Cuza's Union Conspiracy

Your journey begins in front of the majestic Palace of Culture in Iași. This edifice, built between 1906 and 1925 in a Florentine neo-Gothic style, now houses four city museums. From its central tower, 42 meters high with 365 rooms symbolizing the days of the year, it was inaugurated on October 11, 1925, by King Ferdinand I of Romania. Here, you discover the foundations of the princely palace Cuza Vodă (1858-1866), linked to Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and understand the heritage of this Nobilis urbs Moldaviae.

Piața Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt, Iași's historic central square, is your next stop. Named after Voivode Ștefan cel Mare (1457-1504), this square was the starting point for the double electoral ballot on January 24, 1859, which elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza as the unifying prince. The equestrian statue of Ștefan cel Mare, inaugurated in 1883 and sculpted by Étienne Révoil, stands as a symbol. It was here that Mihail Kogălniceanu delivered major speeches during the 1848 revolution, laying the groundwork for Iași's UNESCO candidate heritage.

The Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre, built in 1840 and then rebuilt in 1896 by Viennese architect Hermann Baumert after a fire, is a key location for your mission. Its first performance, on December 15, 1840, was the play 'The Prodigal Son' by Vasile Alecsandri himself. With its neo-classical facade and Ionic columns, this theatre, seating about 800, was a meeting place for Moldavian unionists during the 1850s, where strategies for the Union of the Principalities were secretly discussed.

Your path then leads to the Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedrala Mitropolitană), built between 1833 and 1887. Consecrated in 1887 by Metropolitan Iraclie, this church houses the tomb of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1820-1873) and his wife Elena Cuza. Its central dome rises 79 meters, making it the tallest Orthodox church in Romania. It was in this holy place that the Union of the Principalities was proclaimed on January 5, 1859, a central event of the Cuza Iași Circuit and Moldavian history.

Finally, the Obeliscul cu Lei (Obelisk with Lions), erected in 1834 by the Greek banker Iani Flechtenmacher in honor of Mihail Sturdza, marks the climax of your exploration of Iași's heritage. With its 8.5 meters in height and 4 lions at the corners, this obelisk, located near 19th-century administrative buildings, was a silent witness to the Moldavian unionist gatherings of the 1850s. It symbolizes the perseverance of figures like Costache Negri and Vasile Alecsandri, who, with Cuza and Kogălniceanu, forged the destiny of this noble city of Moldavia and all of Romania. You leave with a profound understanding of the history of Iași and its role as a National Historical Monument.