From April 25, 2025
THEMATIC EXHIBITION AT SUȚU PALACE
“Fairs and Trade in Old Bucharest”
The fairs organized in Bucharest, and not only there, were once the only opportunities for people to step outside their communities, meet others from various regions of the country, and bring together different social structures and ethnic groups. They facilitated and encouraged both economic exchange and the direct transmission of craft knowledge. In 19th-century Bucharest, the Târgul Moșilor (“Elders’ Fair”) was the most important such event, beginning on the Monday before the Pentecost holiday and culminating on Moșilor Thursday, when the royal family also made a visit. Located on the grounds of Filaret Field, the fair’s purpose was either to supply the goods needed for traditional commemorations of the dead (bowls, pots, wooden spoons, candles) or to offer the excitement of rides such as “călușei” carousels and other attractions typical of a true amusement park. During the interwar period, the fair transformed into an annual exhibition of craftsmen and small manufacturers.
Furthermore, the city of Bucharest had several markets originally called “fairs,” such as the Lower Fair and the Upper Fair, named according to their position relative to the Princely Court. These later merged into the Inner Fair, located within the city limits. This became the most active and prosperous commercial center, serving both production and residential functions, with numerous shops available for rent. The Cuckoo Fair, located near St. George-New Church, focused on food trade and had lower transaction volumes than the main fair. Formed in the early 17th century amid increasing commercial activity, the Outer Fair—located outside the city—became the most important market in its area. It mainly served the trade of goods that could not be brought into the city, such as grain, livestock, and firewood. It was also a meeting place for local merchants and traders from other regions of the country. It is noteworthy that, as a public space, the Outer Fair was also the site of executions of those sentenced to death. Anton Maria Del Chiaro, secretary to Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), wrote that “the gallows stands half a post away from the city, in a place called the Outer Fair,” where “a fair is held twice a week: on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”
The word “piață” (market), of Italian origin (“piazza”), began to be used in the early 19th century. The urban regulations contained in the Organic Statute required the establishment of markets either on the outskirts—for wood, hay, or coal—or in various interior areas of the city for selling meat, fruit, vegetables, and fish, with the aim of reducing congestion and keeping the streets clean. This represented the first coherent vision for the development of Bucharest and an early step toward modernization.
The evolution of Bucharest’s markets over time reveals interesting aspects of the city’s development, showing how local authorities designed and implemented urban policies, the economic realities of the time, and, importantly, social changes. For Romanian society, traumatized by the food shortages of the communist period, “going to the market” became a deeply ingrained reflex born out of the desperate need to obtain supplies.
Thus, over the centuries, Bucharest’s fairs and markets have become important cultural and economic hubs where people gather to buy and sell goods, socialize, and experience local traditions.
Although some historic markets have vanished over time, today’s Obor Market — the area where Târgul Moșilor was once held — remains a place of great historical and memorial value for the city. It has gone through multiple transformations, but its fundamental role has stayed the same: a free market for agricultural and manufactured goods, supporting the connection between urban and rural production. It also preserves a symbolic significance: the memory of Târgul Moșilor, a place essential for traditions related to the collective remembrance of ancestors. Even though the fair was replaced during the communist era by the “Harvest Festival,” the original Christian meaning endured in the collective consciousness.
Through this exhibition project, the Bucharest Municipality Museum brings to the public both the atmosphere of the fairs and the importance of the historic markets mentioned above, presenting documents, photographs, lithographs, and other objects illustrating aspects of cultural activities from bygone times. Visitors will be able to explore key historical points related to the fairs and markets of old Bucharest.
The exhibition “Fairs and Trade in Old Bucharest” will be open from April 25 to October 26, 2025.
Visiting hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (last entry at 17:30).
Curators: Dr. Silvia Iordache, PhD Candidate Gabriel Constantin