Mihai Viteazul National College, Secondary education institution at Pache Protopopescu Boulevard, Bucharest, Romania.
Mihai Viteazul National College is a secondary school on Pache Protopopescu Boulevard in Bucharest, with a main building known for its cross-shaped windows. The grounds also include a former chapel that was converted into a gymnasium used for student activities.
The school was founded in 1867 by a decree of Prince Carol, when two gymnasium classes split off from the overcrowded Saint Sava school nearby. It was later listed as a historic monument, recognizing the role it has played in the city over more than a century.
The school takes its name from Michael the Brave, the ruler who briefly united the three Romanian principalities around 1600. His name appears across Romania, but here it is tied to the daily life of students who pass his portrait in the hallways every day.
The college sits on Pache Protopopescu Boulevard and is easy to reach by public transport. Since it is an active school, access to the grounds is limited outside school hours, and the exterior is best seen from the street.
During World War II, the building was turned into a field hospital, treating the wounded in rooms that had been built as classrooms. Shortly after the war, a student protest caused serious damage to the auditorium, leaving a mark on the school that few visitors today would suspect.
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