Saint Demetrius-Balș Church

About

Saint Demetrius-Balș Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfântul Dumitru-Balș) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 14 Decembrie 1989 Street, nr. 15, in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

The church was built in 1690 by medelnicer Ionașcu Balș (1663-1738). Belonging to the Moldavian style, it was devastated by fire in 1723; the blaze began in a nearby brick workshop or, according to other sources, in the church itself. Balș and his son Lupu rebuilt the church, adding stone walls and a new roof.

Initially, the building was entered through an open terrace on the south side; its remnants can still be seen in the stonemasonry. There was a niche with an icon of Saint Demetrius, now partly hidden by a window. In 1781, a foyer was added on the western side, with a bell tower above.

At that point, the entrance was moved to the west, through the closed foyer under the tower, while the other door was shut up behind a wall. For a long time, members of the Balș family financed the church, which had a separate administration, even though it was a filial of the Saint George-Lozonschi Church. Various princes of Moldavia, particularly members of the Mavrocordatos family,...