Military Casino of Timișoara

Military Casino
Cazinoul Militar
Former names	Commander's House
General information
Architectural style	Rococo
Location	Liberty Square, Timișoara
Coordinates	45°45′20.9″N 21°13′35.2″E
Construction started	1744
Completed	1775
Renovated	1910
Owner	Ministry of National Defence

The Military Casino (Romanian: Cazinoul Militar), one of the oldest buildings of Timișoara, is situated on the west side of the city's Liberty Square.^[1] Its construction began in 1744 and was completed in 1775. The building eventually became a casino, although it did not start as one. At present it is listed as a historical monument with the LMI code TM-II-m-A-06143.^[2]

The Military Casino is actually the pavilion A of the building complex formally known as Casern 901 (Romanian: Cazarma 901).^[3]

History

The Military Casino before the end of World War I

Anti-tank cannons in front of the Military Casino before their removal in 2015

After the Austrians, led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, captured the Timișoara Fortress in 1716, the Turkish fortress was completely destroyed. Almost immediately the rebuilding of the fortress began according to Austrian standards. The surface to be surrounded by walls was enlarged, while the inner, ruined Turkish buildings were demolished. A plan of the fortress with perpendicular streets was drawn up. It had two squares that became Union Square and Liberty Square.^[4] Several buildings were built in Parade Square (present-day Liberty Square): the Town Hall (today known as the "Old Town Hall") and some buildings with military designation.^[5]

In 1744 the construction of a house for military commander Count Soro was begun in the northwestern corner.^[6] In 1746–1747 the Mosque of the Silahdar was in the southern part of the house, on the site of the current façade of the casino. The mosque was later pulled down.^[1] In 1754 the house was expanded to the south on the surface of the former mosque. Although the building was completed in 1758, the last refurbishments were finished in 1775.^[5][6] Initially the building had one floor. In 1910 others storeys were added.^[7] A hall with stained-glass windows and a terrace above were built to replace the summer terrace.^[6] The large ballroom upstairs played an important role in the social life of the young people, as the famous officers' balls were held here.^[8]

Otto Roth proclaimed the Banat Republic in this building on 31 October 1918, but Aurel Cosma requested the Romanian officers to leave the casino. They went to the Kronprinz Hotel (in the current building of the Opera House)^[9] where they established the National Romanian Military Council.^[6]

In the period when Iuliu Illithy administrated the casino it was named Grand Établissement Illithy. From 1921 it was named Prince Carol Military-Civil Casino. After World War II it was known as the Military Casino.^[6] Since 1996 it houses the Military Museum and Circle.^[8]

In 2002 two 75 mm Reșița Model 1943 anti-tank cannons were placed in front of the terrace,^[6] but they were removed after the square was redesigned in 2015.^[10]

Architecture

The style of the building is Late Baroque. The double edged pilasters are in the Corinthian order with decorative elements on the façade. A Rococo element is the rounded corner in the northeast of the building.^[1]

References

1. "Cazinoul Militar". Timisoara-Info.ro.
2. "Lista monumentelor istorice din județul Timiș". Direcția Județeană pentru Cultură Timiș.
3. "Se întoarce la strălucirea de altădată. Primele schele pe Casa Armatei din Piața Libertății, la Timișoara. A pornit reabilitarea". Opinia Timișoarei. 31 January 2022.
4. Capotescu, Valentin (2008). Arhitectura militară bastionară în România. Vol. I. Cetatea Timișoarei. Timișoara: Bastion. pp. 23–24. ISBN 978-973-88780-1-3.
5. Păun, Liana (16 February 2014). "Piața Libertății sau cum s-a transformat Piața de Paradă în cartierul general al administrației civile și militare". pressalert.ro.
6. "Piața Libertății – Un centru militar pentru o cetate militară". Timpolis. 6–9 October 2005. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018.
7. Rovența, Mihai (15 May 2015). "Cazinoul Militar". Merg.În.
8. "Cazinoul Militar, Timișoara". Welcome to Romania.
9. Both, Ștefan (7 April 2013). "Nostalgii timișorene. Amintiri despre orașul de altădată: Hoteluri și localuri de lux din secolele XVIII–XIX". Adevărul.
10. Tobias, Andreea; Iedu, Liliana (30 December 2015). "Reabilitarea centrului istoric al Timișoarei, finalizată după o investiție de peste 65 milioane lei". Ziarul Financiar.