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Home > Palace of the Parliament


The Palace of the Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) in Bucharest, Romania is reputed to be the largest building in Europe at 350,000 mē. It is probably the third largest building in the world right after The Pentagon and the Merchandise Mart. Measuring 270m by 240m, 86m high, and 92m under ground. It is 12 stories tall, and has four additional underground levels.

Built on the site of a hill variously known as Spirei Hill, Uranus Hill, or Arsenal Hill, which was razed for the project, the building anchors the west end of Unirii Boulevard and the Centru Civic. Construction began in 1984. The building was originally to be known as the House of the Republic (Casa Republicii) and was intended to serve as a palace for Nicolae Ceauşescu. However, the project was just nearing completion at the time of his 1989 overthrow and execution.

Officially renamed first as the House of the People (Casa Poporului) and then the Palace of the People (Palatul Poporului, a name which many Bucharesteans still use to refer to it), it is now known (in the post-Communist era) as the Palace of the Parliament. It is also, not uncommonly, known as the Madman's House (Casa Nebunului).


The building is constructed entirely of materials of Romanian origin; it is reported that during the latter years of construction, this building and the Centru Civic in general created such a massive demand for Romanian marble that tombstones throughout the country had to be made from other materials.

Since 1994, the building has housed Romania's parliament; it also contains a massive array of miscellaneous conference halls, salons, etc., used for a wide variety of other purposes.

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Palaces in Romania Bucharest



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