PALACES

The Princely Palace, like many other monuments in the Alba Carolina Citadel, has got a long history, linked to personalities and outstanding events in the Transylvanian and even European history. The first phase of the existence of a palace in this area dates back to the end of the twelfth century and the beginning of the thirteenth century, and is related to the establishment of the seat for the bishop of Transylvania and for the members of the chapter. The edifice lived its glory days during the Transylvanian Principality when, for more than 150 years, the fate of the region was headed from Alba Iulia. It goes without saying that the princely residence was the center and the most import [...]

Built in 1908 on the current Ion I.C. Bratianu Square, the Palace of Justice was an aesthetic success and impressive presence in the city’s landscape at the time. The architectural plans for the palace were originally drafted in Budapest, and included the construction of two inner courtyards housed within its hexagonal perimeters. From an architectural and stylistic point-of-view, the building was influenced by secession art (the German version of Art Nouveau), which favours harmonious forms partly inspired by classicism to emphasize functionality. The building’s most impressive design aspect can be witnessed along its southern facade. The palace has had different purposes over the [...]

Built in 1905, the Gisella Palace was the first two-stories building in the Lower Town. Located in the central square of the city, the palace was the tallest central building with its three levels and the tower. The building was owned by the Glück family, Jewish and one of the richest in the city. The Gisella Palace also distinguished by its main façades which faced both sides of the city's square, where celebrations and fairs were organized in the early 1900's. The edifice is nowadays the most impressive private building still standing since the city center scenery of the early twentieth century. After 1965, the building became the headquarters of the People's Council of the Alba Coun [...]

The Apor Palace is the first Baroque style civilian building in Transylvania. It is located in the northern area of the Alba Carolina Citadel, overlapping the northern side of the Roman castrum. The core of the construction enclosed parts of a former medieval house. The edifice - built in the second half of the seventeenth century and showcasing even earlier architectural elements – accommodated several famous people: in the seventeenth century, it was owned by Stephen Apor - one of the most influential and wealthy people in Transylvania at that time; when Austrian troops settled in Transylvania, the former nobiliary residence started to be used for military purposes and count Steinvill [...]