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Photo: Manole Alexandru, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Do not wear short skirts in this church. The elderly are quite protective of in-church propriety. If you go in the summer, you will enjoy vast rose bushes all around the grounds of the church. If you are thirsty, there is a water fountain at one end of the courtyard. There are always beggars at the entrance of this church, which is one of the most profitable for beggars in Iaşi. Locally, this church is called "Metropolia". Metropolia contains the remains of "Saint Paraschiva", an important local saint. If you like chaos and celebrations, go to Iaşi from 12-16 October of any year. The city floods with peasants and religious pilgrims from Romania and abroad. The city completely changes during this period, and the Stefan cel Mare boulevard is almost impossible to walk through.
The Metropolitan Cathedral, Iași, located at 16 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard, Iași, Romania, is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iași and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and the largest historic Orthodox church in Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Parascheva, to the Presentation of Jesus and to Saint George. Its form was inspired by the late Italian Renaissance style, with Baroque elements dominating the interior and exterior decorative features. The Metropolitan Cathedral is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.
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This church is completely covered in carvings. The church was once covered in gold, which was burned away to be stolen. Trei Ierarhi is frequently under construction. The atmosphere inside is musky, typical of East Orthodox churches. It contains several chandeliers with decorative ostrich eggs. It is on the tentative list for nomination for the World Heritage list.
With an exceptional interior designed by one of the most popular architects from Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century.
Next to the Palace of Culture is a little stone house named after the scholar and metropolite ("archbishop") of Moldavia Dosoftei (1624-1693). He was one of the first to use the Romanian language for poetry and in the church and the house contains a small museum showing early manuscripts, prints and printing presses (no English signs).
This small but beautiful church is next to the Palace of Culture. It was built by Stephen the Great in 1491-1492, making it the oldest standing religious building in Iaşi today, and was renovated around 1900. It is well worth a visit to admire the paintings, and perhaps take a break for a little peace of mind.
Biserca Armeana Sf. Maria
Well over 500-year-old Armenian Church in the heart of Iaşi.