Brancusi created the open-air collection that includes the "Endless Column" and the "Gate of the Kiss" in the small south-western Romanian town of Targu Jiu in 1937-1938 as a tribute to fallen World War I soldiers.

The five sculptural installations aligned on a 1.5-km-long axis along Targu Jiu's central Avenue of Heroes are one of the few Brancusi works located in Romania.

"The granted recognition forces us to protect the monumental ensemble, to keep it intact for future generations and for humanity's cultural memory," Romanian Culture Minister Raluca Turcan said.

Brancusi was born in the small village of Hobita near the Carpathian Mountains, but lived in Paris for most of his life.

--Reuters--