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Romania: restoration of historical casino in Costanta starts

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JANUARY - Authorities in Romania have started preparatory and design works that will lead to the consolidation and restauration of the historical Constanta casino, one of the most important examples of Art Nouveau in Romania and in Europe, local media reported. Activities related to the design of the project started on January 15, while restauration work should start in April and last 27 months, until July 2022, according to Constanţa mayor Decebal Fagadau, the portal Romania Insider reported. The casino was included by Europa Nostra among the most endangered heritage monuments in the continent in 2018. The building, Europa Nostra wrote back that year, was erected in 1910 and became a "a landmark of the Black Sea shore." The casino, dubbed the 'Romanian Monte Carlo', became one of the favorite destinations for the rich of the time between First and Second World War. It was also visited by the Russian royal family in 1914. "Daniel Renard, the Swiss Romanian architect who designed the building, opted for a lavish expression of Art Nouveau to reflect Romania's modernisation during the reign of Carol I," the organization recalled. In the last two decades, the casino was abandoned and neglected, causing a rapid deterioration of the building, with damages to the roof, windows, facades and structural elements. (ANSA).