Nicoriță Church

About

The Nicoriță Church (Romanian: Biserica Nicoriță) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 1 Nicoriță Street in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint John the New of Suceava. The church is located in the eastern part of the city, on Tătărași Hill.

An earlier church existed on the site; it was built of wood by the pious daughter of a boyar in memory of the fact that in 1402, during the reign of Alexander the Good, Saint John's relics stopped in the area on the way into the city. The present church was built between 1626 and 1629, on the ruins of the old one. Its ktitor was hetman Nicoară Baltag, adviser and brother-in-law to Prince Miron Barnovschi-Movilă; the co-founder was his wife Todosia.

Two legends surround the building of the church. One holds that Miron asked Nicoară to supervise construction of the Barnovschi Church. Finding out that the latter was sparing with materials, intending to use leftovers in order to build his own church, the prince ordered him sealed alive into the walls of his church.

Another states that the prince was envious of Nicoară's church and thus refused his permission for it to be blessed. At the time, the eastern part of Iași was covered in thick forests...