Constanta Casino

The casino in Constanța was built according to the plans of the French architect Daniel Renard, but the construction of the monument was, at that time, a map between political camps: the Liberals wanted a symbolic building with Western architectural influences, Art Nouveau, while conservatives wanted a building with Romanian style architecture. In the end, the liberals won and the Casino in Constanța became an Art Nouveau symbol.

Immediately after 1910, Constanța City Hall approved gambling and leased the Casino to an investor, forcing him to build a luxury hotel, a short distance from the Casino, especially for the players here, who came from all over. This is what happened and, following the model of the Casino in Sinaia, Hotel Palace opens in Constanța.

As at the big casinos on the French Riviera, in Constanța, baccarat, railway, American bubble, horses, dice or beard started to be played. In addition to gambling, the Casino held almost all leisure activities that may cross your mind: from regular or masked balls, to theater performances, concerts, raffles, vocal recitals, gambling, chess, backgammon or dominoes. . Everything was allowed in the Casino for the people in his pocket.

Shortly before the First World War, in front of the Casino took place the visit of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who, together with the imperial family and with King Carol I and Prince Ferdinand, walked on the seafront in Constanța.

The First World War followed, during which time the Casino was made available to the Romanian Red Cross and transformed into a hospital for the wounded. After the end of the war, the mayor's office rehabilitated the damage between 1919-1920, and the balls and banquets were resumed.

In 1928 a second rehabilitation was made, and in 1936 gambling was banned and never resumed until today.

The time of the Second World War, at the beginning of 1941, found the Casino the host of German troops and in 1943 the building was hit by bombs dropped by Soviet planes.

During the communist period, gambling remained banned and the Casino became a luxury restaurant and was rehabilitated, for the last time, in 1986.

But the democratic period after the '90s, although devoid of wars and dictators, turned the Casino of Constanța into a ruined objective difficult to restore due to indifference, cumbersome bureaucratic procedures or bad will.
(source: www.info-sud-est.ro )