Cantacuzino-Paşcanu House – The Children’s Palace

The house of the great chancellor Dumitrache Cantacuzino Paşcanu was built in 1840 in Neoclassic style, being made of stone and plastered bricks. A tragic event took place here in 1855, when an in-house servant killed his French lover and then committed suicide after his mistress refused to sign his release. Is has been called the Palace of Emancipation because this drama accelerated the process of abolition of Gypsy slavery by the boyars. The palace functioned as headquarters of the IV Army Corps, Residence of Queen Mary during the royal family’s refuge in Iaşi (1916-1918) and as concentration camp for war prisoners in 1944. Since 1966, the house has served as the Palace of Pioneers, and after the fall of communism regime it has been named Children’s Palace. (PHOTO : Mihai BULAI)