White Church

About

The White Church (Romanian: Biserica Albă) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 110 Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The origins of the church are uncertain, but it probably existed in the late 17th century.

It appears to have been founded on an estate of the Văcărescu family. The formal dedication likely occurred around 1700, with one theory suggesting a Văcărescu widow in the role of ktetorissa, while Jupâneasa Vișa and the priest Neagu Dârvaș are seen as likelier candidates. At any rate, the surrounding district and the church itself were nicknamed after the latter two between 1739 and 1835, while the present name became established around 1800.

A wooden icon of Saint Nicholas dating to 1701–1702 confirms the church’s existence at that point. A funeral stone fragment from 1715–1716 is situated in the altar table. A restoration took place in 1784, and by 1802 the church was surrounded by monastic cells, demolished during the late-19th century urbanization.

Severely damaged by that year’s earthquake, and by the 1808 tremor, it was radically rebuilt in 1827, according to the pisanie. The high Clucer Nicolae Trăsnea, a trusted adviser to Prince...