Annunciation Church

About

The Annunciation Church (Romanian: Biserica Buna Vestire) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 12 Sulfinei Street in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to the Annunciation. The original church on the site was made of wood.

First mentioned in 1707, it was likely built in the second half of the 17th century. This date derives from the appearance of surviving icons and the fact that the area (known as Muntenimii) was starting to become populated at the time, by craftsmen and Roma. By the later 18th century, documents mentioned the church frequently, highlighting its importance.

There is an inscribed cross marking the spot where the altar of this church once stood. It probably lasted around a century and a half, gradually becoming too small for the needs of the area. Eventually, the neighborhood was settled by wealthier people interested in building a larger and prettier church.

The present building was constructed by ktitor Ion Tăutu, a vornic, and his wife Maria between 1816 and 1818; it was blessed by Metropolitan Veniamin Costache in 1820. The design was inspired by a church in Flămânzi that Tăutu's friend Theodor Balș built in 1813. The old church lasted until the 1821 outbreak of...