The Baron Barbu Bellu House

The Baron Barbu Bellu House, built in 1830, has a gazebo, four rooms and a hall, both on the first and upper level. The building is surprising even today by orienting the facade towards the courtyard and not towards the street, the explanation being that until the middle of the 20th century, the axis of the street was located with approx. 20-30 meters further north.

Returning to Baron Barbu Bellu, we must say that the appearance of the largest necropolis in Romania is also linked to his name: the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest. The tradition reminds that Barbu Bellu (1825-1900), former Minister of Cults and Justice, is the donor of the land or of a part of the old Bellu Cemetery from Bucharest; in fact, the first church in the cemetery was called the "Bellu Monastery". Barbu Bellu was the son of the chancellor Alexandru Bellu (1799-1853), married to Irina, daughter of the great ban Barbu Văcărescu and great-granddaughter of Ienăchiță Văcărescu, the origin of the family and the name Bellu dates back to the 18th century in Bella, Macedonia.

During the interwar period the building was entirely owned by Ion Dimitriu, brother of the liberal French politician Constantin Dimitriu, former prefect of Dâmbovița County in 1907, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior between 1914-1916, Minister of Communications (June 4, 1927 - November 3, 1928 ) and interim Minister of Public Works (June 4-6, 1927) in the governments led by Barbu Știrbey, Ion IC and Vintilă Brătianu; and Minister of Labor, Health and Social Welfare (November 14, 1933 - February 26, 1934) in the governments led by Ion G. Duca, Constantin Angelescu and Gheorghe Tătărăscu, but also President of the Senate from November 15, 1935 to November 16, 1936.

Article author,
Cornel Mărculescu