Karolina obelisk is the oldest laic monument of the city of Cluj Napoca.
History
Karolina Obelisk was first placed in what we know today as the Union Square, but it was moved in 1898 in the Museum Square.
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The monument was built in 1831, in honor of Emperor Francisc I and Empress Augusta Carolina who had visited Cluj in the summer of 1817 (August 18 to 27).
The documents say the obelisk plans were made by master builder Winkler György.
Description of the monument
Karolina Obelisk has a height of 10 m and “as an ornament has four carved stone eagles, which keep a laurel wreath made out of wrought iron, three stone bas-relief and a metal one and a Latin inscription. On the relief oriented to the east you can see the imperial convoy entering the city through the Middle Gate. On the west side of it you see the queen in front of the hospital giving charity to a poor woman who is staying on her knees. Some anachronisms can be seen. Oil Lamps appear in Cluj only in late 1872, the hospital had also worked only from 1820. On the southern side it is visible the city’s emblem: city gate with three towers for defense, on the northern a Latin inscription, which speaks of the raising of the obelisk in honor of the imperial family’s visit.“
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The obelisk is at the heart of the pedestrian zone in the Museum Square. Surrounded by a medieval landscape, with old buildings, terraces and majestic trees, the monument was built following the visit of Emperor Francisc I and the Empress Augusta Carolina, in the summer of 1817.
GPS Coordinates: 46.771761 (latitude), 23.587089 (longitude)
