Grecescu Church

About

The Grecescu Church (Romanian: Biserica Grecescu) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 2 Decebal Street in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The ktetors were a boyar couple, Ioan Stoian Grecescu and his wife Ioana.

In 1863, Ioan asked to build a church in the city center, but delays by the authorities angered him, prompting him to build a hospital with the materials he had purchased. Grecescu did not abandon the idea of a church, purchasing a plot of land near the hospital, overlooking the Danube. Further delays caused local residents to protest.

Moreover, in 1867, Prince Carol I was on a visit to the city. He met Grecescu and, through the effort of his traveling companion Carol Davila, quickly arranged for plans to be drawn up in the capital Bucharest by the city architect. The cornerstone was laid on 10 May 1868, the second anniversary of Carol’s accession to the throne.

It was modeled after the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral, with two small spires in front, and fitting into the classic style of old Romanian monasteries. The building is solid brick. Construction proceeded rapidly, with Carol inspecting progress in spring 1869.

Gheorghe Tattarescu...