Mântuleasa, an old slum that told its stories under the city lights
For an autumn evening, Mantuleasa slum – one of the oldest areas of Bucharest, documented in 1781 – has regained its former life. The houses, gardens and courtyards have reopened to the public as part of Urban Explorers – Night Session, 2nd Edition, an event that transformed the neighborhood into a living museum of urban memory.
Mântuleasa is not just a neighborhood, but a fabric of eras and styles: from carriage houses and modest merchant buildings, to eclectic villas and neo-Romanian residences. At its center is the The Church of the Savior, built in 1732 by the Manta merchant family – a landmark around which the entire neighborhood was born. The atmosphere of this place has inspired artists and writers over time, from Mircea Eliade to the interwar architects who shaped its identity.
🌙 A whole day dedicated to rediscovering heritage
The day started at 12:00 with a antiques fair on Plantelor Street, where collectors and urban history enthusiasts brought objects that preserve the scent of old Bucharest and recreated the old merchant atmosphere.
Between the hours 14:00 – 19:00, the street was filled with joy and the sounds of children: architecture and drawing workshops for young people, organized in the courtyard of the former Caritatea Sanatorium, were coordinated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation and "Mincu" Student Association„, offering participants a hands-on experience exploring the architectural details of the area.
All from the hour 14:00, Mantuleasa Garden hosted a culinary experience with a taste of the old slum – a special menu inspired by the cuisine of yesteryear, where simple ingredients and flavors were reminiscent of how cooking was done in the past, with patience and respect for authentic taste.
🏛️ Guided tours and encounters with history
The two guided tours, held at the hours 16:30 and 18:30, were among the most anticipated moments of the entire day, bringing together over 200 participants eager to learn the stories of the Mântuleasa neighborhood. From architectural historians and residents of the area, to visitors who came especially for the event, the groups traveled a route that united the urban history, legends, and transformations of the neighborhood into a captivating experience.
The walk started around Mantuleasa Church, built in 1732 by the Manta merchant family — the point of origin of the neighborhood and the street's name. A prosperous community of craftsmen and merchants emerged around this Brâncove settlement, and the church has remained a symbol of the stability and identity of the place to this day.
From here, the route took participants through Mantuleasa Entrance, where houses with bay windows and German details recall the beginnings of Bucharest's modernization, then towards Merchants Street, where the stories of the Vlădescu and Bolintineanu houses outlined the portrait of an era of discreet refinement.
Visitors discovered the places that inspired them Mircea Eliade and Mircea Vulcanescu, while on Romulus street they admired the facade of the former Rieber Factories, a landmark of early industrialization. The route continued on St. Stephen's Street and Plant Street, where the early 20th century villas – such as Romniceanu House (Plantelor 3) or Captain Pandele's Villa (Plan Four) – revealed layers of history through projections and digital animations presented especially for the event.
The guide, documented in detail by the Urban Explorers team and inspired by historical and architectural research in the area, combined rigorous information with vivid stories. Participants discovered how Mântuleasa, from its first attestation in 1781 until today, has preserved its character as a stratified neighborhood, where carriage houses meet neo-Romanian villas, and urban myths intertwine with authentic architecture.
🏠 Houses open to the public
After the hour 18:00, visitors were able to enter courtyards and interiors rarely accessible to the general public.
Each place told its own story through light, digital projections and architecture:
- Plan Four – an exemplary restoration of an 1891 villa, which hosted outdoor projections about the history of the neighborhood and indoor video animations about the history of the house;
- Plants 3 – a villa from the early 20th century, where the public enjoyed projections dedicated to the history of the house that was given as a dowry by the Romniceanu family to the Miclescu family;
- Rubrik – architectural office – projections dedicated to the architectural details of the Mântuleasa neighborhood, a look at the beauty hidden in ornaments and proportions;
- Anca Poterașu Gallery – contemporary art and historical memory, in a heritage house from 1891;
- Zamfirescu Law Firm – example of integrating modern architecture into a restored historic building, open to the public as a model of good practice in heritage conservation;
- The courtyard of the former Caritatea Sanatorium – an emblematic place on Plantelor Street, which symbolically reopened its doors through an architecture workshop dedicated to children, organized with the support of neighbors and the Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
- Mantuleasa Garden – a place of relaxation and conviviality, where the scents of autumn mixed with the stories of the slum.
🌆 An evening with over a thousand visitors
The 2025 edition attracted over 1,000 participants – Bucharest residents, architects, young people, families and tourists – who rediscovered the neighborhood through a unique nocturnal experience.
For many, it was the first encounter with the Mântuleasa slum, for others a return to beloved places. The warm atmosphere, digital projections and discreet music transformed a historical area into a living space of urban culture.
💡 Heritage experienced, not just admired
Urban Explorers – Night Session has become more than an event: it is a method of heritage interpretation which involves emotion, creativity and community participation.
The 2nd edition confirms the maturation of the concept – from visiting to feelings – transforming houses into spaces of dialogue between past and present, between architecture and digital art.
In the light of the projections, Mântuleasa has become what it always was: a slum with a soul, where time accumulates in layers of memory, and people become part of the story.
🤝 Partners and supporters
Second edition of the project Urban Explorers – Night Session was made by Youth Vision for Society (YVS) Association, in main partnership with Union of Architects of Romania and Architecture Magazine.
Event partners: Order of Architects of Romania – Bucharest Branch, Pro Patrimonio Foundation, Mincu Student Association – who supported the organizers by supplementing the team of volunteers throughout the event, Mantuleasa Garden, Plan Four, Anca Poterașu Gallery, Happy Advertising, Magazine Sketch, Bucharest Narrated, The Narrated History Association, and the team Urban Explorers.
The project was possible with the support of the City Hall of Sector 2 of Bucharest Municipality.