The  Cotroceni Palace, today the Cotroceni National Museum, has over 300 years of history, starting with Prince Serban Cantacuzino (1678 – 1688). He founded a monastery here and a palace built in the Baroque style, specific to Western Europe of those days. After Cantacuzino, Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei rebuilt and modernized the palace in 1852, it became his summer residence. During the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859 – 1866), the Cotroceni Palace was again refurbished to become an official European-style residence, and the area became known as a center for the Romanian reunification spirit. Cotroceni is where the Central Powers and Romania signed the Treaty of Bucharest in 1918.  Then in 1949, Cotroceni became the Palace of the Communist Youth Organisation (The Communist Pioneers). In 1977, during the earthquake, the palace was heavily damaged. The architect Nicolae Vladescu rebuilt it and added a new wing, which is today the home of the Presidential Administration.  So it has quite a jumbled history, and this unused card begins a series of views of the museum it also is now.  Grade: 1