Bucharest, Bucharest Romania

Plantelor Street represents today, like it did with more than 100 years ago, one of the most charming areas of the “authentic” Bucharest. Making the connection between Mântuleasa and Popa Nan, the streets mark one on the most important areas of the old Bucharest, area that came to life in the second half of the nineteenth century.

On this street were to live artists, traders, lawyers and doctors who brought to the area the authenticity of a town in full development. The big history passes also by Plantelor street, here, at no. 9, being the last residence of the poet Mihai Eminescu, who died in the sanatorium 'Caritatea' on 15th of June 1889. With only 6 days before the disappearance of the big poet, the small history, of the ordinary Bucharest inhabitant met the city’s destiny. Nae Petrescu, former employee of Dumitru Bragadiru, where he probably learnt the profession of distillation, bought from the city hall of Bucharest a land 'at the road junction of the streets' Plantelor, Traian and Stupinei. With 2845 lei Petrescu became the owner of around 284 square meters that were about to shelter in the years to come the business of Nae Petrescu – the Grocery shop, as also the residence of his family. The pastry, the distillery, together with the other traded products were increasing the business towards 1900, year in which Nae Petrescu was finalizing the works at the building having the numbers 56 and 58 of the Plantelor street .

The house will remain the family’s property after the death of Nae Petrescu (1922), passing in the legacy of his children, Nicu and Atanasie, along the business, until the installation of the communist regime, when the ownership of both, the shop and the family’s residence, were transferred to the State.