Barboi Church
Encyclopedia
The Bărboi Church dedicated to Saints Peter
and Paul
, is a Romanian Orthodox
parish church located at 12 Bărboi Street, Iaşi
, Romania
.
and commissioned by the vornic
Ioan Ursu Bărboi. In 1669 this church became a monastery under the authority of Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos
. The church was seriously damaged in 1821 and demolished in 1829. Between 1841 and 1843, the logofăt
Dimitrie Sturdza and his family members, with financial assistance from Vatopedi and the efforts of Metropolitan
Grigore Irinopoleos, had the current church built on the site of the old one. The architect Andrei Caridi was assisted by the Greek master builders Atanasie and Gheorghe. The resulting church resembles certain Athonite
buildings in form and dimension, and is the city's only church in the shape of a Greek cross.
The church was shaken by the 1977 earthquake
, and from 1980-88, the exterior was restored and the interior paintings and furnishings cleaned. Metropolitan Teoctist Arăpaşu
began this project, and on 27 November 1988, by then Patriarch of All Romania
, he re-consecrated the church. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.
Today, in addition to hosting religious services, the church is the headquarters of the local branch of the Romanian Orthodox Women's Society and of the Romanian Orthodox Brotherhood; the latter undertakes philanthropic and cultural activities. Art exhibitions, awards ceremonies, book signings and similar activities take place on the premises. Moreover, every Lazarus Saturday
since 1990, thousands of pilgrims have gathered at the church, carrying icons of Christ and making their way toward the Metropolitan Cathedral
.
s beneath the top of the walls, flanked by pilaster
s that rest on bases. The wide central dome, with Neo-Gothic
and Romanesque
elements, sits above a square base, and is surrounded by four much smaller domes with octagonal bases. The main entrance features an imposing portal
held up by eight Doric
columns. Above this is a classical
facade that also features Doric columns.
The church's spacious Byzantine
interior is composed of three nave
s: a central one and two lateral ones, divided by columns of Carrara
marble topped by Corinthian
capital
s. Looking inside, a harmony of arches can be observed: each pair of columns is linked by two or even four arches in perfect symmetry. The iconostasis
is carved from wood and gilt. The walls are covered in paintings of saints (including military ones), Biblical scenes, the Madonna and Child
and the Four Evangelists
.
An inscribed tablet records various phases in the church's history. Inside is the crypt of the noble Sturdza family
(which includes the grave of Prince Ioan Sturdza
), bathed in candlelight, next to that the poet Alecu Russo
. The Bărboi Church is also where writer Ion Creangă
served as deacon and lived in the parish house from 1863-65.
The bell tower, built in 1726-33 by masons from Padua
, has four levels; clocks rest in the uppermost one (uniquely for the city) and bells in the middle two. The lowest level has an exterior of quality stone, well worked and preserved; the other levels have a plaster exterior. It is through the lowest level that one enters the church grounds; the gate is made of decorated cast iron. The tower once contained the library of the writer Costache Conachi.
The 19th century parish house is based on traditional Moldavia
n monastic houses. It has two floors and a simple plan, with rooms arranged symmetrically about a central hallway. Starting in 1834, it housed Moldavia's first girls' school, founded by Mihail Sturdza
.
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, is a Romanian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
parish church located at 12 Bărboi Street, Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
History
The current church was raised on the foundation of a church built in 1613-15, dedicated to Saint ParaschivaParaskevi
Paraskevi is a female name. Variations include Petka, Paraskeva, Praskovia, Praskovie, Pyatnitsa, Pyetka, Paraskevoula, Paraschiva and Voula.Notable people with the name include:*Voula Patoulidou, Greek hurdler and long jumper*Paraskevi...
and commissioned by the vornic
Vornic
Vornic was a historical rank for an official in charge of justice and internal affairs. He was overseeing the Royal Court. It originated in the Slovak nádvorník. In the 16th century in Moldavia were two high vornics: one for "Ţara de Sus" , and other for "Ţara de Jos" ....
Ioan Ursu Bărboi. In 1669 this church became a monastery under the authority of Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. The church was seriously damaged in 1821 and demolished in 1829. Between 1841 and 1843, the logofăt
Logothete
Logothete was an administrative title originating in the eastern Roman Empire. In the middle and late Byzantine Empire, it rose to become a senior administrative title, equivalent to a minister or secretary of state...
Dimitrie Sturdza and his family members, with financial assistance from Vatopedi and the efforts of Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Grigore Irinopoleos, had the current church built on the site of the old one. The architect Andrei Caridi was assisted by the Greek master builders Atanasie and Gheorghe. The resulting church resembles certain Athonite
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
buildings in form and dimension, and is the city's only church in the shape of a Greek cross.
The church was shaken by the 1977 earthquake
1977 Bucharest Earthquake
The 1977 Vrancea Earthquake occurred on Friday, 4 March 1977, 21:20 local time and was felt throughout the Balkans. It had a magnitude of 7.2 with an epicenter in Vrancea at a depth of ....
, and from 1980-88, the exterior was restored and the interior paintings and furnishings cleaned. Metropolitan Teoctist Arăpaşu
Teoctist Arapasu
Teoctist was the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 2007.Teoctist served his first years as patriarch under the Romanian Communist regime, and was accused by some of collaboration...
began this project, and on 27 November 1988, by then Patriarch of All Romania
Patriarch of All Romania
The Patriarch of All Romania is the title of the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. As of September 12, 2007, the chair is occupied by Daniel Ciobotea.-Metropolitans of Ungro-Wallachia:* Maxim * Macarie II * Ilarion II...
, he re-consecrated the church. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.
Today, in addition to hosting religious services, the church is the headquarters of the local branch of the Romanian Orthodox Women's Society and of the Romanian Orthodox Brotherhood; the latter undertakes philanthropic and cultural activities. Art exhibitions, awards ceremonies, book signings and similar activities take place on the premises. Moreover, every Lazarus Saturday
Lazarus Saturday
Lazarus Saturday, in the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, is the day before Palm Sunday, and is liturgically linked to it...
since 1990, thousands of pilgrims have gathered at the church, carrying icons of Christ and making their way toward the Metropolitan Cathedral
Metropolitan Cathedral, Iasi
The Metropolitan Cathedral, Iaşi , located at 16 Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt Boulevard, Iaşi, Romania, is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and the largest Orthodox church in Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Paraschiva, to the Presentation...
.
Style
The church is rectangular in plan and made of valuable stone blocks alternating with rows of brick. To the east, north and south, there are small semicircular apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s beneath the top of the walls, flanked by pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s that rest on bases. The wide central dome, with Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
and Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
elements, sits above a square base, and is surrounded by four much smaller domes with octagonal bases. The main entrance features an imposing portal
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
held up by eight Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns. Above this is a classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
facade that also features Doric columns.
The church's spacious Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
interior is composed of three nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
s: a central one and two lateral ones, divided by columns of Carrara
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
marble topped by Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
s. Looking inside, a harmony of arches can be observed: each pair of columns is linked by two or even four arches in perfect symmetry. The iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
is carved from wood and gilt. The walls are covered in paintings of saints (including military ones), Biblical scenes, the Madonna and Child
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
and the Four Evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
.
An inscribed tablet records various phases in the church's history. Inside is the crypt of the noble Sturdza family
Sturdza family
Sturdza, Sturza or Stourdza is the name of an old Romanian family, whose origins can be traced back to the 1540s.The Sturdza family has been long and intimately associated with the government first of Moldavia and afterwards of Romania...
(which includes the grave of Prince Ioan Sturdza
Ioan Sturdza
Ioan Sturdza was a Prince of Moldavia and the most famous descendant of Alexandru Sturdza...
), bathed in candlelight, next to that the poet Alecu Russo
Alecu Russo
Alecu Russo , was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist....
. The Bărboi Church is also where writer Ion Creangă
Ion Creanga
Ion Creangă was a Moldavian-born Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th century Romanian literature, he is best known for his Childhood Memories volume, his novellas and short stories, and his many anecdotes...
served as deacon and lived in the parish house from 1863-65.
The bell tower, built in 1726-33 by masons from Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, has four levels; clocks rest in the uppermost one (uniquely for the city) and bells in the middle two. The lowest level has an exterior of quality stone, well worked and preserved; the other levels have a plaster exterior. It is through the lowest level that one enters the church grounds; the gate is made of decorated cast iron. The tower once contained the library of the writer Costache Conachi.
The 19th century parish house is based on traditional Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
n monastic houses. It has two floors and a simple plan, with rooms arranged symmetrically about a central hallway. Starting in 1834, it housed Moldavia's first girls' school, founded by Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza was a prince of Moldavia from 1834 to 1849. A man of liberal education, he established the Mihaileana Academy, a kind of university, in Iaşi. He brought scholars from foreign countries to act as teachers, and gave a very powerful stimulus to the educational development of the...
.