The residence of the engineer and industrialist Bazil G. Assan (1860-1918), the first romanian who made a journey around the world (1897-1898), was built to the deisgn of the architect Ion D. Berindei in french neo-classical style. Elegant interiors decorated with paintings by Octav Bancila, monumental exterior staircase towards the backyard.
Bazil Assan was also the owner of the first automobile registered in Romania (FN Herstal convertible - 15 HP, made in Liège, Belgium) – competing with prince George Valentin Bibescu. Bazil Assan's car received the registration no. 1 in Bucharest (in the year 1900). Prince George Valentin Bibescu desired the no. 1 plate for his own car but since it was already taken, the Prefecture of Police had to find a workaround. Prince Bibescu received the registration no. 0.
Sources: various
Image: Casa Assan 1” de Nicubunu - Operă proprie. Sub licență CC BY-SA 3.0 ro via Wikimedia Commons.