The Cotroceni Palace was built between 1893 and 1895 by the French architect Paul Gottereau for King Ferdinand and his wife, Queen Maria of Romania, the niece of EnglandÆs Queen Victoria. After being damaged in the earthquakes of 1940 and 1977, the edifice was completely restored in the 1980s. Its halls, sumptuously decorated, are representative for various European decorative styles and make the building one of the most interesting in Bucharest.
The old wing of the building, which contains the foundations of the palace built on this location by prince ¬erban Cantacuzino (1678-1688), has been made into a medieval art museum. The funerary stones of the Cantacuzino family have also been preserved in this part of the palace. Another wing, recently restored, houses the Romanian presidency.
Prof. Dimitrie BrΓndza, the founder of the Botanical Institute, created the Botanical Garden between 1884 and 1885. The 17 hectares of this garden contain about 10,000 vegetal species from around the world.
