Designed by the architect Nicolae C. Mihăescu in Baroque style with Art Nouveau influences, this building with an impressive historical imprint built in 1900, is located in the vicinity of Amzei Square, a short distance from the Romana Square. The facades richly decorated with lions, cherubs, cupid statuettes, give this unique property a very special historical value. The house belonged to Maria Mihăescu (known as Mița Biciclista), the first woman in Bucharest to ride a bicycle. According to historical sources, the house was given to Mita by the future King Ferdinand I, one of his admirers. The young woman was considered a luxury cocoon, being courted by the most influential men of the time. It is said that Octavian Goga, Nicolae Grigorescu and even King Manuel of Portugal, would have admired Mita's beauty. The press of the time reported that Miţa Biciclista broke many hearts in her youth, although King Manuel had insistently asked her to be his wife, she had preferred Dr. Nicolae Minovici, the founder of the "Salvarea" society. Her eccentric spirit was also noticed by the journalist George Ranetti, who gave her the nickname of Mita Biciclista after seeing her riding a bicycle on Calea Victoriei, at the end of the 19th century. In fact, it is said that Mita was the first woman to ride a bicycle wearing a pair of pants. The architect Nicolae C. Mihăescu (Târgoviște 1863 - 1934) graduated in 1892 from the School of Fine Arts under the guidance of the architect Julien Guadet, in Paris, France, and later, starting with 1892, he became an architecture professor at the Bucharest Higher School of Architecture. Among his most important projects, we can highlight the project of the Palace of the Ministry of Cults and Arts, the Bradu-Boteanu church, the Palace of the Holy Synod of the Antim Monastery, the Palace of the Society of Civil Servants in Victoriei Square, etc. The house, more precisely the ensemble of houses, because the property is composed of three buildings: building A, class A historical monument, rich in elements of Art Nouveau architecture, which represents the main house built in 1900; building B, a class B historical monument, with elements of Neo-Romanian architecture, which represents the secondary house built in 1900; and building C, built a little later, without architectural elements, which represented the auxiliary house dedicated to the servants, currently with a living or office function. In 2017, the consolidation and restoration works were started, carried out with the preservation of all the original architectural elements. Today, after 3 years of intense work, viewers can enjoy this architectural gem, as it was designed 120 years ago, with a current status of "work of art of Bucharest. Sources: "Miţa Biciclista, the famous courtesan who received a house from Ferdinand I." When she appeared on Calea Victoriei, the aristocrats from Capşa abandoned politics "- www.descopera.ro Photo: Gabriel Ghizdavu