The present-day National Museum of Art, also known as the Baroque Palace and the most impressive building in Piața Unirii, was erected, probably as a two-storey structure, between the first quarter and the end of the 18th century for the Mining Office. In the first half of the 18th century, it became the administrative headquarters of Banat governors, symbolising the Imperial power in a city in full development. Three-storey in 1752, at the end of the 18th century it reached current height, and between 1885 and 1886 an attic floor was added, designed by architect Jacques Klein.
In 1752 it was turned into the Chancellery of the Administration of the State of Banat, and from 1754 it also served as lodgings of the civil governor of Banat. After a long period of various other subsequent function changes, mainly of the administrative order and depended on the political and administrative fluctuations, in 1984 it became the Museum of Art.
In the Baroque style, it has its own Baroque Hall, a festive hall located above the access on Florimund Mercy Street and oriented towards the main façade. With the construction of the attic floor, the volume and size of the Baroque Hall changed, as a gallery and a ceiling set in Neo-Renaissance patterns were added. Woodwork features panels, doors and windows in Rococo motifs, the windows ornated on the upper area by an alveolar, shell-shaped decorative element.
Quite a number of political and cultural events took place within the walls of the Baroque Palace – the most famous musician to have played there is Franz Liszt, who gave a piano recital on November 2, 1864.
The Baroque Palace is on the list of historical monuments as individual building of national importance (code number TM-II-m-A-06174) and is also part of the Cetate Neighbourhood Urban Site (cod TM-II-s-A-06095). It went through ample restoration works between 1983 and 2010 based on architects Doina and Șerban Sturdza’s plans and is currently very well preserved.
References:
Ilieșiu, Nicolae. Timișoara. Monografie istorică [Timișoara. A Historical Monograph] Timișoara: Editura Planetarium, 2012
Opriș, Mihai and Botescu, Mihai. Arhitectura istorică din Timișoara [Historical Architecture in Timișoara], Timișoara: Tempus, 2014
Opriș, Mihai. Cvartal 17, Cartarea monumentelor istorice din situl urban „Cetatea Timişoara” [Block 17. Mapping Historical Monuments in the Cetate Urban Site]
https://www.i-tour.ro/muzeul-de-arta-din-timisoara-sala-baroca/