Museums

History Museum

  It was inaugurated on January 24th, 1939 under the name "Cuza Voda Vila" Museum, based on the collection of teachers Paul and Ecaterina Pasa. Later, the collection of the illustrious scholar Vasile Alexandrescu Urechia, the founder of the library that bears his name, was added to it, a collection that included objects of palaeontology, archaeology, numismatics, ethnography, etc. Until 1956 the museum kept a mixed profile, with sections of natural sciences, history and fine arts. From this year, further to the establishment of the Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural Sciences, the museum presents only exhibits regarding the history of the Romanian people, of the inhabitants of Galati County.

   The Galati History Museum started with a modest patrimony of 460 assets, reaching today over 50,000 assets. The institution includes independent sections: the "Cuza Voda House" Museum, the "Costache Negri" Memorial House (from Manjina), the museum itself and the lapidarium. In the current building, in Iancu Fotea Street, a building built in 1911, an architectural monument, the museum has been operating since 1988. The permanent exhibition presents the history of Galati County in a national context, reflecting the historical stages of Romania, as manifested in the Lower Danube until December 1st, 1918. The museum publishes the "Danubius" yearbook and has a documentary library with over 8,000 volumes of scientific papers and specialized publications. The museum's collections include pieces and tools from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age, artefacts belonging to Greek and Roman culture, medieval and numismatics. To these are added documents, old books, decorative art, Romanian philatelic values, artisanal embroideries and fabrics, tools and accessories from the peasant industry, parts, appliances, tools and industrial machines. The cultural assets related to the life and activity of AI. I. Cuza, C. Negri and M. Kogalniceanu attract special attention. At its headquarters, the museum organizes temporary exhibitions, in addition to permanent ones, symposia, debates, round tables and other events that aim to capitalize on the exceptional cultural and spiritual heritage of the Galati community. Scientific collaborations with other institutions in the country and abroad, the interest of the public and researchers in the museum's heritage is a confirmation of the importance and of the local model of an open and prosperous community. Since 1996, the museum has expanded by the use of the Lapidarium section, a unique exhibition space in the country, in which large objects are presented: sarcophagi, the Votive Altar from Sendreni (with the inscription Lucius Iulius Iulianus qui et Rundacio), the tomb of Innocens (discovered in 1979 in the archaeological site from Tirighina Barbosi, which can be considered the first evidence of Christianity on the Lower Danube), fragments of Roman columns, Roman and Byzantine amphorae, materials belonging to the tile industry (shingles, tiles, bricks) with COHORS II MATTIACORUM stamp, funeral stelae, etc.

Contact

Address: No. 2, Mjr. Iancu Footea Str.

Tel: 0236/460797

Fax: 0236/460797

Museum Complex of Natural Sciences

  Founded in 1956 (Museum of Natural Sciences), it has been organized on a scientific basis since 1959. In its collections, the fauna and flora specific to the Lower Danube area are revealed. The cultural and scientific valorisation was achieved through permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, communication sessions, symposia and publications.

The NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM COMPLEX ON THE LOWER DANUBE is part of the great natural science museums in Romania. With a short history, of about 50 years, starting with 1990, the museum enters a new stage of development and modernization by promoting a project that changes its structure and scale.

   MUSEUM INSTITUTION is located on an area of ​​18 hectares on the left bank of the Danube in Galati, where the Botanical Garden and the new building of the Museum are being developed. The Zoo is located in Garboavele Forest, on an area of ​​7 hectares, 17 km NW of Galati.

   The objectives of the MUSEUM are: research and conservation of the biodiversity of natural ecosystems, enrichment of the scientific heritage, promotion of projects regarding the monitoring of environmental pollution. Ecological education for nature preservation is achieved through modern exhibition projects in various stages of execution such as the Botanical Garden, the Aquarium, the Planetarium, the Zoo, Aquatic Ecosystems, etc.

BOTANICAL GARDEN

  Founded in 1990 as a section of a new museum institution "Museum Complex of Natural Sciences", the Botanical Garden dominates the left bank of the Danube in Galati. The Scientific Theme developed in 1996 is the basis for the plantings carried out, which ennobled a degraded land area of ​​15 ha, with a part of the phytodiversity of the geographical areas of the globe. The collections of plants from tropical and subtropical areas (cacti, euphorbia, palm trees, crotons, geraniums, begonias, etc.) can be admired since the end of 2004 in a new space: greenhouse and palm grove of 2500 m2, which is still under construction.

  ASIAN FLORA

   The chic rosary set up on a former waste dump in the city exhibits over 200 varieties of roses, tends to become an important genetic resource in this part of the country. It is in continuous expansion and will be completed with species of classic roses and spontaneous flora that will raise its scientific value.

   Romania's flora and vegetation stand out from the sunny Southern slope of the garden through the species of trees and bushes - over 3000 specimens. In May, the peony bushes will attract you by the reddish colour spots.

   If you cross the bridge and go north you have the chance to go through the "brass forest" (several oak species) to the "silver forest" - over 40 specimens of birch. Conifers, due to their diversity and density, will cool you down in the hot summer days.

CACTUSES COLLECTION

  The Japanese garden with its lantern, the waterfall, the lake and water lilies invites you to meditation and recreation. On the main axis of the garden your eyes will be delighted by the diversity of colour and shape of ornamental plants.

PLANETARIUM

   Located on the 2nd floor, on the upper terrace of the building - a terrace with a viewpoint - the planetarium gives the museum's architecture a note of originality, having with an auditorium of 54 seats.

AQUARIUM

   The thematic plan includes: Exotic fish from South America, the African lakes, Tanganyika and Malawi. We will recognize some inhabitants of these ancient lakes, of tertiary age, unique in the world by the large number of endemic fish: many are survivors of ancient fauna and whose closest keens are far away.

GARBOAVELE ZOO

   Rare and very rare birds and mammals from Eurasia. The theme was developed in 1997 together with specialists from the "EUROPEAN ASOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIA".

The main objectives are: conservation of rare animal species and conservation education.

 Contact

Address: Str. 11th Siret Regiment no.6A

Tel: 0236/411898

Museum of Contemporary Visual Arts

  Founded in 1956, the Art Museum of Galati enclosed at the time of its inauguration 148 works belonging to artists from all periods. In 1967, after 11 years of existence, when its patrimony had increased to 889 works, the museum was installed in the monumental building of the former Episcopal Palace, inaugurated on September 8, 1901, an architectural monument.

  With the move to the new headquarters, the museum also changed its profile, becoming a museum of modern and contemporary art. In the spring of 1973 it was renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, and in 1991 it changed its title to the Museum of Visual Art, pursuing, in addition to approaching the traditional branches of fine arts and presenting the fields that make up the image creation specific to contemporary civilization: art design, the art of dynamic cine-video image, the art of scenography and dance, the art of urban environment, etc.

  It was the first museum of Romanian contemporary art, designed to present the latest trends in the artistic phenomenon of the twentieth Century. Approximately 400 works in the exhibition halls and outdoors, in the museum’s park, are a selection from a much larger heritage, often complemented by the virtual heritage of contemporary artists, consistently cultivated over nearly four decades of existence. The museum also has a valuable collection belonging to the interwar period represented by: Th. Pallady, Gheorghe Petrascu, Stefan Dimitrescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Camil Ressu, Nicolae Darascu, Lucian Grigorescu, Iosif Iser, Jean Al. Steriadi or Marius Bunescu.

The interest for the landscape, for the human face, correlates with the mentioned artists with the development of a plastic language that illustrate the lesson of post-impressionism in the way of treating the form, but also a tendency towards its synthesis and a sensitivity for colour, which find motivations in older, autochthonous traditions.

  The Romanian avant-garde from the first decades of the 20th century is marked by an exhibition of representative works signed by MH Maxy, Corneliu Michailescu, Irina Codreanu, Milita Petrascu or Victor Brauner, the last name of European resonance, whose creations are present in major museums around the world.

  The works of Corneliu Baba and Alexandru Ciucurencu, the two masters who shaped painting schools in Romanian art, have an increased value from a historical perspective. In the collection of paintings signed by Ion Tuculescu, the works from his last period, the totemic one, stand out. Dumitru Ghiata's works are imposed by a different vision, although the rural, folkloric universe is like Tuculescu's - the painter's area of ​​inspiration.

  However, the most significant part of the museum's patrimony and permanent exhibition is the Romanian creation from 1967 to 2000, from which several personalities and representative directions stand out. Color is one of the major plastic themes of contemporary Romanian painting. It acquires spiritual values ​​in Ion Nicodemus, in his paintings with a decanted chromatic, vibrating on large surfaces. Ion Salisteanu's painting is a visualization of vitality, of capturing light on the stretch of the canvas. Ion Pacea's "Vegetations" series is an elaboration of some natural forms, but also of the decorative elements from the popular barks. Ion Gheorghiu, one of the most representative personalities of Romanian painting, lies, like the other mentioned artists, at the confluence between abstract and figurative by its monumental work ”The Supended Gardens” painted in incandescent harmonies.

  Conceptualism marks the creation of artists such as: Horia Bernea, Marin Gherasim, Sorin Dumitrescu. Horia Bernea, one of the most complex figures of our culture, creator of great strength and refinement, raises in the "Hills" series the issue of style that becomes the object of investigation, of knowing the artist. In Marin Gherasim's painting, the sacred is revealed through signs coming from the geometric order of some medieval or popular architectural elements that refer to an ancient, local spirituality. Sorin Dumitrescu's painting also evolves in the same area of ​​neo-Byzantineism.

   One of the most important personalities of contemporary Romanian sculpture was George Apostu, from whose work the museum holds a significant number of works: his "Lapps" and "Butterflies" seem to be part of a world with its own laws, forming a complementary relationship between man and nature and evoking an ancient civilization of wood with archaic accents. The Brancusian landmarks of this vision can also be found in the sculptors Ovidiu Maitec, Napoleon Tiron or Iliescu Calinesti, whose works are exhibited in the museum halls.

   Decorative art is present in the two monumental halls of the museum, on the ground floor and first floor, intended for openings and artistic events where there is an interference between the arts: visual arts, ballet, music, etc. The tapestries of well-known artists are on display, such as: Ana Lupas, Gratiela Stoichita, Riti and Peter Iacob, Serban Gabrea, Serbana Dragoescu.

   Temporary exhibitions, various events dedicated to art lovers (thematic guides, art history lessons, aesthetic education, creative camps organized here, performances inspired by costume history, etc.) are part of the museum's specific life, giving it a dynamism that integrates it at the same time and from the perspective of prospecting, capitalizing on the contemporary heritage and the relationship with the public.

Contact

Address: No. 141, Domneasca Str.

Tel: 0236413452; 0236/312502

Email: art.museum@xnet.ro

The Tirighina Roman Camp

In the context of the great discoveries that refer to the ancient history of our homeland, Barbosi area has acquired over time a special archaeological and tourist importance, due to findings, on Tirighina Hill, of valuable traces of human habitation from millennia, specific to the local geto-dacian culture and to the Roman rule. The archeological resort is located on the lower terrace, above the Siret meadow, near its stream into the Danube. The place dominates the whole surrounding region, rising like a natural bastion, shaped like a trunkated cone, with a good visibility directed especially towards the flood plain of Siret and of the great river.

Following the archeological excavations undertaken by the Romanian Academy, in collaboration with the Galati County Museum of History, it was concluded that on the territory of Tirighina hill there was initially a fortified Dacian settlement, a kind of fortress, with a palisade, whose material traces are materialized in two Geto-Dacian living levels with an interesting cult complex. It lasted from the end of the 2nd century BC until the beginning of the 2nd century AD, when it was conquered and destroyed by fire by the Romans during the reign of Emperor Traian (98-117).

Following the wars for the conquest of Dacia in 101-102 and 105-106, part of Dacia's territory was transformed into a Roman province. The Romans conquered a small territory in the South of today's Moldova, limited by a wave of defense, a real border with road and military guard (limes), North of Galati, on the Tulucesti-Traian line, between Prut and Siret, where they built the castelum and the camp on the Tirighina-Barbosi hill, of course, after destroying the Geto-Dacian fortress from this location.

The camp played an important economic and strategic role for the Roman Empire, because it connected the lower Moesia with the Northeastern part of Traian's Dacia, on the Siret river trail, Trotus and Oituz to Bretcu, in Transylvania. At the same time, the fortress at the mouth of the Siret had connections with more distant crafts centers. The large white marble sarcophagus, from a single block, worked in the workshops of Asia Minor, discovered in Barbosi and kept at the Institute of Archeology of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest, argues the commercial relations between the economic centers that increasingly connected the cities of Dacia. Romanesque with the most important centers in Asia Minor and the Greek islands. The rich inventory of the sarcophagus proved that it served as a tomb for a Roman commander.

Based on the variety of materials discovered at Barbosi, it could be stated that four Roman military units were stationed here: two legions - Legio I Italica and Legio V Macedonica - and two auxiliary units - Cohors II Mattiacorum and Classis Flavia Moesica, the important military fleet patrolling Danube.

Over time, a rich civil settlement developed around the walls of the Roman camp, consisting of walled houses and probably barracks (canabae), according to the Roman custom, inhabited mainly by veterans married to local women, merchants and craftsmen who accompanied the Roman armies. In this sense, the discovery, in the autumn of 1970 of the foundations of some house walls built of brick and Dobrogea stone, paved and covered with tiles, with walls provided with plaster, on which the red and green mural painting still persists, is edifying. Some sewer pipes were also discovered, countless ceramic fragments belonging to a rich repertoire of ceramic and glass vessels, lamps, various metal objects and a significant number of Roman bronze and silver coins.

It is worth mentioning that in Barbosi were found two valuable ancient white marble tablets, representing sculptures dedicated to the warrior deities: one embodies the Thracian Knight and the other the Danube Knights. They can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the County Museum of History.

In the Central and South-Eastern part of the camp, countless graves of burial and cremation were discovered, in simple pits and individual pyres. In addition to these, there are tombs with burrial chambers, with a semicircular brick dome, sarcophagi, as well as collective and individual tombs, for burial and cremation, dated chronologically in the II-III centuries AD. According to their inventory, some tumuli belonged to captains or army commanders.

Of great historical value is the burial tomb of Innocens (The Innocent), discovered in 1979, which can be considered as the first evidence of Christianity on the Lower Danube (see also the presentation of the Lapidarium section of the County Museum of History).