Saint Parascheva Church, Iași

About

Saint Parascheva Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfânta Parascheva) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 6 Păcurari Street in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to Parascheva of the Balkans. Located right by the Central University Library, it stands on the site of an earlier wooden church from 1730, dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

The site of the old altar table is marked by a cross to the right of the current altar, on the exterior. Archaeological evidence, including ruins, bones and coins, points to the presence of a still earlier church, from the reign of Vasile Lupu (1634-1653). The present church was built between 1852 and 1858 through the efforts of the priest Constantin Pavelescu and the administrator Dumitru Burduja.

Although historian N. A. Bogdan suggested Costache Conachi was the founder, this hypothesis was later rejected, as he died in 1849.

Today, Pavelescu's is one of two graves in the churchyard. Part of the beggars' guild attended the parish, the remainder going to the Banu Church. The church used to be a filial of Saint Nicholas the Poor, which no longer exists.

The church is made of brick on a stone foundation and covered in a tin roof. The nave is rectangular...