Piata Unirii is the oldest square in Timisoara, in a superb baroque style. It was first called Piata Losonczy, after Stefan Losonczy who was killed by  the Turkish army in 1552, when the city was conquered by the Ottomans. The name we use today  was given after 1919, because the piazza was the destination of Romanian armies entering the city after the union with Romania.

The square brings together in perfect harmony, three aspects of the life in Timisoara: religion, culture and leisure ( wild parties :p). Traditionally, it was a cultural and religious place. Now, the laic part was blended superbly into this original mix, making Piata Unirii  the perfect place for both young and old people, of all cultures and nationalities.

Since 1774, the plazza is the Catholic center of Timisoara, hosting the Catholic Dome of St. George. Built by architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach in a baroque style, with rock, brick and nickel ornaments. It is the most remarkable Catholic construction in Banat, serving as the Catholic Bishopric. Its pipe organ, styled in the manner of Ludovic the XVIth , and its 9 shrines make it a unique site in Romania.

The plaza is also home of the Serbian Christian Orthodox Cathedral, which was for centuries, the place of meeting for both Romanian and Serbian Christians, before it was definitely offered to the latest, after the middle of the XIX the century.

The Baroque Palace of Timisoara , hosting the Art Museum, is now home of  artistic and cultural exhibitions. Built before 1733, the palace has hosted several institutions throughout the years, both economic, commercial and administrative. Before 1944, the building hosted the Prefecture of Timis County for a long period of time.

Other important sites in the square are the Bruck Palace, Nikolaus Lenau Highschool, The Statue of the Trinity and the Fountain with mineral water.

And let’s not forget that the plaza has adapted to the times. It now hosts the most thrilling parties and concerts. Should it be a special day, like the 9th May – EU Day, The Green Day, or a day like any other, people gather in Unirii’s to celebrate life, night after night. Bars, music, fireworks, people who come here to forget about problems and take the most out of life.

All great events are celebrated here, and amongst them, one which has always turned the people in Timisoara ecstatic : football. Giant screens all over broadcast the matches, and whether it’s Poli playing, or the national team, people of all ages and genders gather to join voices, hearts and hopes in a spectacle one could hardly see in any other city in Romania. It proves better than anything that we know how to live here, in Timisoara!

There you have it! Piata Unirii has it all: tradition, modernism, extravagance, style. Believe us when we say:

“It’s the place to be! “

Tags: Piata Unirii, Union Square

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 at 10:53 am and is filed under about Timisoara, organizing team. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.