Monumental ensemble “Calea Eroilor” by Brâncuși gets restored
The elaboration of the conservation-restoration project of the artistic components of the Monumental Ensemble ‘Calea Eroilor/ Heroes Way’ by Constantin Brancusi has been initiated.
The announcement was made in Târgu Jiu by Culture Minister Natalia-Elena Intotero. “We are resuming this endeavour with determination and responsibility, launching through the National Heritage Institute a new public procurement procedure to ensure the conservation and transmission of Brâncuși’s works to future generations. We are counting on the collaboration of all parties involved and we are confident that, through a joint effort, in 2026 Brâncuși’s works will be showcased to their true value, thus honouring him with the tribute he deserves,” said the Minister.
The estimated value of the procedure is 363,137 lei excluding VAT, and the deadline for preparing the documentation is four months.
“The procedure, open to national and international bidders, aims to restore and conserve the artistic components of the ensemble. The deadline for submitting bids will be 15 days and the project will take four months from the signing of the contract. If there are no bidders, a call for solutions will be organised,” explained Oana Zaharia, acting manager of the National Heritage Institute (INP).
In 2013, the INP funded restoration works on the artistic stone components of the ‘Poarta Sărutului’, and in 2023 it reintroduced the ensemble into the National Restoration Programme. However, public procurement procedures for the design services were cancelled due to lack of bidders.
In 2026, the 150th anniversary of the sculptor’s birth will be celebrated, and this has been designated the National Brâncuși Year.
About the monumental ensemble ‘Heroes’ Way’
The monumental ensemble ‘Calea Eroilor’ by Constantin Brâncuși was erected gradually between 1937 and 1938, and includes the ‘Endless Column’, dedicated to the heroes who fell in 1916 on the banks of the River Ji, the ‘Gate of the Kiss’ and the ‘Table of Silence’, radially surrounded by 12 round chairs, complemented by another 30 chairs with square tops, all placed directly on the ground, as a natural plinth.
It spans from west to east, starting from the banks of the river Ji in the Central Park, where the stone works – the “Table of Silence”, “Alley of the Seats” and “Gate of the Kiss” – are located, continuing along the Heroes’ Way, where the Church of the Holy Apostles is located, and culminating with the “Endless Column”, made of cast iron and steel, erected in the middle of a park on a promontory.
The ensemble was commissioned by the National League of Women from Gorj, chaired by Arethia Tătărescu, wife of Gheorghe Tătărescu, Romania’s Prime Minister, and donated to the city ‘to honour the memory of the heroes from Gorj who sacrificed their lives in the War of Reintegration’.
It was inaugurated on 27 October 1938.
The monumental ensemble ‘Calea Eroilor’ from Targu Jiu and the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia have received in summer 2024 the acceptance to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
