Chernivtsi (1864–1882): la Residenza dei Metropoliti, fantasia di stili dell’Impero
Nella multietnica Bucovina asburgica, l’architetto Josef Hlávka costruì per i metropoliti ortodossi una residenza che fonde stili bizantini, moreschi e gotici in mattoni colorati e tetti a maioliche. Un capolavoro dell’eclettismo del XIX secolo, oggi sede dell’università di Chernivtsi.
At a glance
The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans at Chernivtsi is a flamboyant masterpiece of 19th-century historicism. Built between 1864 and 1882 by the Czech architect Josef Hlávka for the Orthodox metropolitans of Bukovina, then a crossroads province of the Habsburg Empire, it blends Byzantine, Moorish, Gothic and other styles in patterned brick and tiled roofs. Expressing the religious tolerance of the era, the complex now houses Chernivtsi University and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2011.
Key facts
- UNESCO: World Heritage since 2011 (Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans)
- Built: 1864–1882, by the architect Josef Hlávka
- Style: 19th-century historicism mixing Byzantine, Moorish and Gothic
- Patterned roofs: polychrome glazed tiles in geometric designs
- Bukovina: a multi-ethnic crossroads of the Habsburg Empire
- University: the complex now houses Chernivtsi National University
History
In the 19th century Bukovina was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire where Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish and Armenian communities lived side by side. The Orthodox metropolitans commissioned the young architect Josef Hlávka to build a residence worthy of their standing; over nearly two decades he created an immense complex of palace, seminary church and monastery wing.
Hlávka drew freely on the architecture of East and West, uniting domes, arches and gables under roofs patterned in coloured tiles, an embodiment of the cosmopolitan, tolerant spirit of the empire. After the empire fell the buildings became the university, and the ensemble remains one of the finest works of 19th-century eclecticism in Europe.
What you see
The complex rises in warm red brick around courtyards and gardens, its roofs alive with geometric tilework. The seminary church glitters with decoration, while the former synodal hall and palace rooms display rich historicist interiors. Students now cross the courts that once served the metropolitans.
The whole reads as a romantic vision of empire, blending the styles of many peoples into one harmonious composition.
Practical information
- Visiting: a working university; guided tours show the main halls and church
- Time needed: 1–2 hours
- Note: the courtyards are generally open; interiors by tour
- Setting: on a hill above the old town of Chernivtsi
Getting there
Chernivtsi is in south-western Ukraine, in the historic region of Bukovina near the Romanian and Moldovan borders. The residence is on University Street, a short ride from the centre. GPS: 48.2975° N, 25.9244° E.
Nearby
- Chernivtsi old town — an Austro-Hungarian townscape of squares and theatres
- Khotyn Fortress — a great medieval fortress on the Dniester nearby
- The Carpathians — the mountains and wooden churches to the west
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans” (ref. 1330)
- Chernivtsi National University — official body
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Chernivtsi
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