Sofia Court House, Judicial building in central Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Sofia Court House is a judicial building in central Sofia with a white limestone facade and twelve columns across its front. The structure spans multiple levels above and below ground, containing courtrooms, a library, and numerous administrative spaces.
Construction of the building began in 1929 and was completed in 1940, following the establishment of a Judicial Buildings fund in 1926. The project was part of a broader effort to modernize the city's court infrastructure.
The facade carries five large gates and twelve columns, with Roman and Byzantine motifs carved on the doors, windows and corbels. Bulgarian and Latin inscriptions stand in the atriums. A bronze relief of Vittorio Positano, who with Leander Lege and rabbi Gabriel Almozino prevented Sofia's burning in the Russo-Turkish War, is mounted on the wall facing Positano Street.
The building is easily recognizable by its white facade and five entrances that serve different sections of the judicial administration. Visitors should note that only certain areas are open to the public, so it is wise to check ahead before visiting.
On 10 January 1944, during the Anglo-American bombing of Sofia, a bomb struck the north-eastern section of the building. It pierced the roof and two reinforced-concrete slabs before stopping in the third, causing no severe damage. Hundreds of citizens had taken shelter in the building's modern air-raid shelter and were unharmed.
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