Saint Nicholas Princiary Church

This sanctuary was founded by Stephen the Great and the Holy in 1492, in the typical style of city churches. The princes of Moldavia were anointed here after 1564 when Iași became the capital city. After 1700, two more chancels were added, one dedicated to Saint Stephen and the other to Saint Barbara. Then the surface was doubled with three altars, and the service was held simultaneously in three languages: old Greek, Slavonic and Romanian. In order to rehabilitate it, the French architect André Lecomte de Noüy demolished the entire edifice and only rebuilt the original church of Stephen the Great, between 1884-1904. The Neoclassic painting with the life of Saint Nicholas, the picture of the founders and of the royal family, the gilded iconostasis, and the Byzantine church choir, all offer a unique experience. (PHOTO : Ioan APETREI)