The causeways of Bucharest

In the early centuries the main artery started at the “upper gate”, crossed the whole commercial centre — the axis the guild streets answered to — and ran on as the “Târgoviște road”, toward the capital that had preceded Bucharest. Its first mention dates to 5 June 1589, when Mihnea Turcitul grants Jipa the great porter a plot “on the great street, by my princely court”.

The road later shifted its course westward: a boundary charter of 17 April 1681 mentions the “Old Târgoviște Road”, as opposed to the new one. On the 1871 sheet you read it as “Cal. Tirgovistei”, passing the station; in the autumn of 1878 the decision says “strada Griviței” — today's Calea Griviței.

The Great Causeway likewise started at the Princely Court, crossed the Dâmbovița and headed for the Danube, forking by the future Bellu cemetery: the main branch toward Giurgiu, the lesser toward Oltenița. Two unpublished charters, of 1714 and 1727, prove that “the Great Causeway” and “Șerban-Vodă's Causeway” are one. Which Șerban? In Giurescu's reading, Radu Șerban: the bridge over the Dâmbovița carrying the road had been built by him too — we know it from the charter dated 3 March 1631.

In the second half of the 18th century the road changes its name to Podul Beilicului, after the houses where Turkish envoys were lodged, built in 1776 by Alexandru Ipsilanti near the Dâmbovița. Later still, on the river's right bank, on the same causeway, stood a roomy Turkish caravanserai with mosque, bath and garden — where Evliya Çelebi probably lodged in 1659. On the 1871 sheet the road is Calea Șerban Vodă again.

The “calici” were at first infirm beggars — later, by extension, poor folk in general — who in the early centuries kept their hovels and small houses along this road, on the Dâmbovița's right bank. A charter of Matei Basarab, of 1639, mentions the “beggars' quarter”; the causeway itself is documented in the 18th century. It was also called the “Măgurele road” and the “Craiova road” — on the 1871 sheet you read it as “Cal. Craiovei”.

After 1800 the boyars and well-off townsfolk tired of the old name, “mocked by the other Bucharestans”: seizing on a noblewoman named Calița who lived on the spot, in the house long held by the Hospitals Board, they substituted her name. “Podul Calicilor, which is the true name”, Giurescu writes. Since 1878: Calea Rahovei.

The causeway likewise started at the Princely Court and led to the Outer Fair: the two traditional market days, Tuesday and Friday, plus the “Moși” fair at the end of May. The fair moved with the town — in the 17th century it stood past Sibilelor church, early in the next by Olari church — and on 18 March 1769 a deed sells a plot “on the great causeway that climbs from the princely court and goes to the Outer Fair”.

The same causeway carried, in an ox cart with the sentence hung round their necks, those condemned to death: so rode in 1693 Staicu Merișanul, hanged “on market day, in the middle of the fairground”, and in 1826 Ghiță Cuțui, “at the head of the causeway”. On the 1852 Borroczyn plan the road is still the Outer Fair Causeway; on the 1871 sheet it is already Calea Moșilor.

In 1692 Constantin Brâncoveanu cuts himself “a straighter, shorter road” to his Mogoșoaia estate: from the palace gate, through Scorțar quarter, over the estate confiscated from Bălăceanu and Șerban Cantacuzino's property, heading north — Mogoșoaia being the first stop on the old road to Târgoviște. At first it was called “the great street coming from Sărindar”; some said “the Brașov causeway”.

The road follows the hill crest — that is why the streets crossing it westward run downhill to the Athenaeum — and it cuts through properties: in Mucenic's reading, Bucharest's first act of urbanism, which reoriented the heads of Lipscani, Doamnei and Franceză streets. Around 1800 it becomes the town's street no. 1 and stays so until World War II. Pappazoglu's legend of serdar Mogoș is disproved by the documents. Since 1878: Calea Victoriei.

The sixth great causeway was never paved at all: no planks, no beams, only beaten earth with gravel and rubble. It took the name by assimilation with the other five, which were true “princely causeways”. A census of 1798 counts its parish: 73 houses along the first half of today's Calea Plevnei. It was also called Belvedere street.

By the late 19th century people called the inward stretch Belvedere street, after the palace; that is the name the autumn 1878 decision baptises “strada Plevna” — today's Calea Plevnei. We found no period photograph or engraving of the Earthen Causeway — if you have one, write to us.

Among the town's minor causeways — the Stelea monastery one (1628), Cilibiu's — the Vergu causeway is the one that survived as a boulevard. An unpublished boundary charter of 10 March 1764 mentions “the great street of the Vergu causeway”, and the Ernst plan of 1791 shows it paved only to Lucaci church: the “causeway head”, where the planks ended.

Who was Vergu? None of the sources we checked ties the causeway's name to a person — we leave it so, question mark in view, as we left everything else we could not prove. On the 1871 sheet you read it as “Cal. Vergu”; in 1878 the decision says “Călărașilor” — today's Calea Călărașilor.