CASA ROMANȚEI

The realization of the "House of Romance" in Târgovişte- a unique museum space in Romania - by the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgoviște , under the patronage of the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations is one of the most remarkable arguments with which we promote, nationally and internationally, the Romance music as a genre of national cultural heritage, for the purpose of its inscription in the Representative List of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The idea of establishing the „House of Romance” belongs to the president and founder of the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgoviște,mr.TeodorVasiliu, Ph.D. in History, author of the "History of the Golden Chrysanthemum" monography, a passionate researcher of the Romance genre and musical phenomenon in Târgovişte and the owner of an impressive personal collection of the Romance and the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival. Through this approach, the public has the opportunity to enter the fascinating world of the Romance, which has been celebrated by great composers, singers, actors and remarkable personalities of Romania’s national culture and also by valuable artists of the international scene.
The building where the „House of Romance” in Târgovişte was realized and inaugurated on October 18th, 2017, is a historical and monumental edifice itself. It belongs to the Dâmboviţa County Council and was assigned in 2017 to the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO inTârgovişte by taking into account the major public interest, also manifested in the official meetings with UNESCO and EFUCA representatives.In august 2019, the building was assigned to The National Museum Complex of The Princely Court of Târgoviște, with the purpose of establishing The „House of Romance” Museum. The choice for this building was also justified from a historical point of view, sinceit is the building where, in the year 1968, the authorities signed the „birth certificate” of the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Romance Festival, the greatest national music event in Romania dedicated to Romance music, which offered Târgoviştethe well-deserved cultural status of being a Citadel of Romance.
The public commitments expressed by the local authorities in 2017 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary edition of the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Romance Festival, and in other official meetings, including those with the participation of the Honorary President of the World Federation of Associations, Centers and Clubs for UNESCO, mr.George Christophides, expresstheir full support for this great cultural project appreciated to the maximum by all national and international personalities who honored the inauguration event of the House of Romance in Târgoviște.
Also, the patronage given to the House of Romance by the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations is an expression (and also a guarantee) of the major interest with which UNESCO's distinguished representatives support the realization of „The House of Romance” in Târgovişte. This is an objective of great significance in the framework of the official initiative that the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgoviște filed at the Ministry of Culture and National Identity, together with the City Hall and the Local Council of Târgovişte and the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO, to inscribe the Romance music in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

„The House of Romance –an embassy of culture in Târgoviște"
The „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgovișteand the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations(EFUCA) initiated „The House of Romance – an embassy of culture in Târgoviște" project in January 2018.
The project is dedicated to promoting the tangible and intangible heritage of the Dâmboviţa County, the events and objectives of great cultural, religious, scientific and tourist interest in this historical area of Romania and it is meant to contribute to the promotion of the cultural and historical heritage of theDâmboviţa County.
At the "House of Romance" in Târgoviște, in partnership with numerous public institutions, we periodically organize cultural, artistic, educational and scientific events aimed at emblazoning the cultural and historical status of Târgovişte and Dâmboviţa County, and to identify new opportunities for promotingthe cultural heritage of this area of Romania inside the borders and also abroad.
For this purpose, the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgoviște collaborates with the City Hall and Local Council of Târgovişte, theDâmboviţa County Council, the Prefect of Dâmboviţa County. The Center also has signed partnerships with the Archbishopric of Târgovişte, the "Valahia" University of Târgovişte, the General School Inspectorate of Dâmboviţa County, The Writers of Târgoviște Society, The Union of Professional Journalists of Romania - the "Ion HeliadeRădulescu" Branch of Dâmboviţa County, The „Queen Mary” Heroes Worshiping Association –the DâmboviţaCounty Branch, the Garrison of Târgovişte, Columna TV station and „Jurnal de Dâmboviţa” daily local newspaper.
Through this project of wide public interest, the „Citadel of Romance” Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgoviște aims to promote Romance on a national and international level in the year 2018, which is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, as declared by the European Parliament and Council. We believe that it is also our duty to honor this exceptional legacy of the municipality of Târgovişte and the county of Dâmboviţa, who have been organizing the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival of Romance for 50 years, every year - an uninterrupted loyal service for half a century in Târgovişte, dedicated to the Romance music, as a genre of national cultural heritage.
The "Citadel of Romance" Cultural Center for UNESCO in Târgovişte is responsible for the artistic direction of the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival of Romance. The Center also organizes the events associated with the Festival, which is dedicated to this year's celebration of the Centenary of the Great Union from 1918 and the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Visiting the "House of Romance"
The „House of Romance” in Târgovișteopens its doors to the "Hall of Golden Voices", dedicated to the great personalities and the great Romanian and international voices that have served the Romance music and the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival of Romance in their concerts and discography. Visitors can admire the photo panels of the music stars, from traditional music to classical and pop music stars in Romania, alongside those of foreign performers who were present at the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival. The showcases are dedicated to old, original documents, photos from the festival, old and new Romance discs, and other materials from private collections.
"The Hall of Composers" includes novel documents, photographs and old scores which are an eloquent historical testimony of the preoccupation for creating romances in every generation of great Romanian composers, over 250 of them, renowned conductors and musicologists who contributed significantly to the evolution this musical genre, withits musical and poetic ennoblement, as well as to the 50 years in its service on the stage of the „Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival of Romance.
Also in this hall, visitors can admire numerous manuscripts of Romance music scores presented in the CreationContests of the "Golden Chrysanthemum" Festival, booklets with Romance verses from the interwar period, collections of romances edited over the past 50 years at the Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania, as well as musical collections edited by Romanian composers. Other valuable works are: "The History of The Golden Chrysanthemum", the musical collection "100 Romances Launched at the Golden Chrysanthemum", written by TeodorVasiliu and Alina MavrodinVasiliu–the artistic Director of the „Golden Chrysanthemum" National Romance Festival.
The „Hall of Composers” also hosts a very old music score written by the famous composer CiprianPorumbescu, a facsimile after the original score which is stored in the archives of the Union of Composers and Musicologists in Romania.The „Hall of Composers” brings forth the "Romance of the National Anthem", a special panel which contains the scores, lyrics and other historical documents bearing witness to the fact that the romance composed in 1836 by Anton Pann, "Din sânulmaiceimele",with the lyrics of GrigoreAlexandrescu, is at the origin of the Romanian State Anthem, "Deșteaptă-te, române!", whose lyrics were signed by Andrei Muresanu.
The "Hall of Trophies" and The "Hall of Actors and Presenters" include the photos of the winners of the „Golden Chrysanthemum” Trophy and the First Prize of the festival, starting with 1968, along with photographs of over 70 great actors and TV hosts who presented and performed at the „Golden Chrysanthemum” Festival, interesting photos from concerts, speeches, documentary material from their private collections, prizes, trophies and distinctions from the history of the festival, all the festival booklets from its 50 editions so far, posters as well as many original documents belonging to the television, radio and newspaper journalists who contributed to the promotion of the Romance music and the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival, so that the Romance music will reach to the public in Romania and abroad.
At the „House of Romance”, visitors can also admire old musical instruments, concert clothes and other personal articles donated to the exhibition by composers, conductors and performers of Romance music and by their descendants.
The "Golden Chrysanthemum Studio Hall” is designed for organizing cultural events within the Program entitled "The House of Romance –an Embassy of Culture in Târgoviște" and presents the concert piano of the "Golden Chrysanthemum" Festival, which miraculously survived the fire that destroyed, in the year 1986, the Concert Hall of the Trade Union’s Cultural House in Târgovişte, where the festival was held annually.
The House of Romance in Târgovişte is also an area where visitors can watch video recordings from the "Golden Chrysanthemum" National Festival, thus entering the fascinating world of the Romanian intangible cultural heritage, in which the Romance music gave Romania its National Anthem and it has united, for over 250 years, the great spirits of the Romanian nation in the sublime concert of humanity, dedicated to the preservation of the cultural identity and the safeguarding of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage values.
The building also contains other special rooms for musical auditions, event rehearsals, protocol,exhibition spaces anda laboratory for researching,preserving and restoringthe Romance music cultural heritage.
One of the objectives of the "Citadel of Romance" Cultural Center for UNESCO inTârgovișteis that the events organized in the "House of Romance", as well as the artistic events organized within the National Concerts Program "Romance unites us", which take place under the patronage of Romania’s National Commission for UNESCO and under the patronage of the European and North American Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations, to determine a major change in the perception of the Romance music and to create a new attitude, nationally and internationally, towards this music genre of national cultural heritage.