Romania House opens in Paris during the Olympic Games
During the Olympic Games, the Romanian Embassy in Paris – Béhague Palace – will host the Hospitality House under the title “Casa României/Romania House” for the Olympic athletes, a joint project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Olympic Committee COSR. The official opening took place on Thursday, July 25.
Béhague Palace, one of the most beautiful palaces in Paris, will be open for public visitation during this period.
Temporary photography exhibitions evoking Romania’s hundred years of Olympism, paintings about Olympic performance in the imagination of children, the first Olympic diploma awarded in 1924 in Paris to the captain of Romania's national rugby team, and the pure silver coin issued this year by the National Bank of Romania to honor the country’s Olympic centenary can be admired.
The main halls and gardens of Béhague Palace, specially prepared for this sports celebration, can be visited.
“In a symbolic arc over time, the Olympic Games return to Paris, 100 years since Romania, also in Paris, won its first Olympic medal. Over this century, Romania has offered the world great champions and unforgettable memories. Some of these champions we were honored to have with us today; we expect other champions to join us in the coming days at Casa României to celebrate together the successes of this edition of the Games,” declared Ioana Bivolaru, Romania’s ambassador to Paris, cited by News.ro.
COSR president Mihai Covaliu gave special thanks to Romanian athlete Nadia Comăneci for her presence.
“Casa României is a celebration of excellence, a celebration of joy, and the place that we, Team Romania, consider home. Here, we will honor our champions. Through sports, we unite people beyond any barriers of language, culture, politics, or religion, offering examples worthy of emulation,” Covaliu said.
Elisabeta Lipă, president of the National Sports Agency, expressed confidence in the chances of Romanian athletes in Paris.
“Casa României is where the glorious past meets the promising present and hopeful future of Romanian sports. Over time, our athletes have brought Romania no less than 309 Olympic medals. Olympic medals symbolize dedication, sustained work, and team spirit, and they define our nation. We aim to build on this legacy, support talented young people, and invest in sports infrastructure. I hope and believe in the performances of our athletes in an edition like few we have seen,” she stated.
The event took place in the presence of president Klaus Iohannis and a large number of sports personalities.
(Photo source: presidency.ro)
