gate of kisses

Located in the Central Park near the Jiu river, "Poarta Sarutului" is a must see in Tg Jiu, together with "Masa Tacerii" (located nearby) and the Endless Column (towards the east of the city). Altogether, they represent the most important legacy Brancusi left (and accepted by) to Romania, his country. It is really difficult to rank these masterpieces...It is nice to take a stroll in the Central Park, from Poarta Sarutului to Masa Tacerii, then to Jiu river's promenade, cross the bridge to the small island and then come back and visit the Art Museum located on the park side. We visited the park at the sunset (the Museum was closed), when the warm sunlight was shining on the water; the visit lasted till we saw the sculptures illuminated at night.

Nice gate, nice work of art, impressive if you start to wonder about how he managed to create this masterpiece. Anyway, it's a beautiful thing. The only minus? Too many noisy newly weds trying to take photos near or under the gate. It quite spoils the vintage atmosphere.

Once that you reached Targu Jiu you will be pleased to discover The Ensemble that is considered to be one of the great works of 20th century outdoor sculpture. Located in the central park, the artist's work was commissioned by the National League of Gorj Women to honour those soldiers who had defended Targu Jiu in 1916 from the forces of the Central Powers. Constantin Brancusi (1876–1957) was at the time living in Paris, and he welcomed the opportunity to create a large commemorative sculpture in his homeland. He accepted the commission in 1935, but refused to receive payment for. The ensemble comprises three sculptures: the Table of Silence, the Gate of the Kiss and the Column of the Infinite, on an axis 1,300 m (4,250 ft) long, oriented west to east. It is a great visit and a way to try to understand the meaning of them.But not about his work I'd like to talk now but about his roots. His roots are from Pestisani a commune from Gorj County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Borosteni, Bradiceni, Francesti, Gureni, Hobita, Pestisani and Seuca. HOBITA is the home-village of the artist known as " the pioneer of modernism" as you are travelling west from Targu Jiu. Hobita village located at the foot of the Carpathians, very close to Valcan Mountains, the host for Cioclovina Reserve and Sohodol Gorges, an area known for its rich tradition of folk crafts, particularly woodcarving. Geometric patterns of the region are to be seen in his later works. A peaceful place with a breathtaking scenery, a village where one can discover the splendid life of the villagers. Hobita village is mentioned by documents as OHABITA (Ohabitza) since 16th century. For sure the settlement is older than the princely document issued on 30th od April 1518 in Bucharest by Neagoie Basarab the Prince of Wallachia. At the beginning of the 20th century it is mentioned that Hobita was a hamlet that owned two wooden churches and 140 hectares (aprox. 280 acres) of oak forest. This explains the development of woodworking.Built around 1870 by the sculptor's father, the house has three rooms, (very modest after nowadays standard). The room in the middle has a traditional hearth. In front of these three rooms there is the open porch that keeps the atmosphere of the old times. The porch has wooden pillars little bit carved through the ends, the door from the porch's being also sustained by wonderful pillars. The roof is covered by shingles and to this add the beautiful little garden in front of the house and the splendid gate. I say no more it is just a little d-tour coming from Targu Jiu on the road 67D towards Pestisani (32 kilometres)and from here turn left another 5 kilometres. It worth it!

Very well preserved and perfect lighting at night. The entire park is well taken care of, so the walk to the gate and surroundings is such a pleasure.

I can't understand all the fuzz about this. It looks like a simple gate. But who am I to judge art..

Two of Constantin Brancusi's artworks, Gate of Kisses and Table of Silence, are situated in the central park from Targu Jiu. If you pass by this town make sure to stop for an hour to visit the park. There is no fee for visiting and the park is beautiful. On a wing of the park there is a small museum dedicated to Constantin Brancusi.

The central park in Targu Jiu is lovely with lots of shade and the appealing sculptures of the Table of Silence and the Gate of Kiss. These two sculptures are splendidly adjoined and merit a visit.The River Jiu flows right behind the park with a pleasant promenade.

Ok, the man was a genius if not to everyone's taste, see e.g., Princess X. But, his three pieces memorializing the Romanian fallen of WW I, should not be missed if you are an art fan or a Brâncuși groupie. Central Park is a nice stroll. Lower rating because kids won't have the interest

Wielokrotnie, przejeżdżając przez Targu Jiu, zatrzymywałem się by w parku popatrzeć na rzeźby i pomyśleć nad drogą jaką przejść mysiała myśl geniusza od naturalnych form karpackich masywów górskich pośród których się urodził do abstrakcynych kształtów rzeźb. Łączy je, moim znaniem, przede wszystkim lapidarność formy. A gdy jeszcze znajdzie się czas aby zwiedzić dom rodzinny Brancusa w nieodległej wsi Hobita, to można tym bardziej utwiedzić się, że w przekonaniu, iż prostota formy oddaje najtrafniej przesłanie twórcy. Szkoda, że Constantin Brancusi tak słabo znany jest w Polsce i "okolicy", choć jego rzeźby sa ozdobą sal wystawowych Europy. Nieco lżej i frywolniej - żartownisie mówią, że relief na bramie pocałunku sugeruje, gdzie mamy Mistrza pocałować...

Bel parco, immerso nel verde e curato. La "Poarta Sarutului" e la "masa taceri" sono bellissime. Vista sul jiu. Un bel pezzo della Romania. Mi è piaciuto molto.