Udricani Church

It was shortly placed under the authority of St. John’s Monastery in Focșani, freeing it from various taxes levied by the Prince of Wallachia.

[1] Archaeological work carried out after 2005 unearthed the presence of a cemetery on the south side, containing 130 graves from the 17th through 19th centuries, as well as religious objects, seals, rings, coins and pottery.

The excavations also indicated that an older church once stood on the site, probably a modest wooden structure with a brick foundation.

The Great Fire of Bucharest in 1847 burned the church and the bell tower, to the west, which also served as a gate.

In 1937, a visiting Nicolae Iorga was struck by the church’s state of decay, ordering immediate repairs as head of the Historic Monuments Commission.

Due to a lack of funds, the only elements carried out were the dome and roof repairs, the floor and window renovations and the replacement of the main door with one resembling its counterpart at Neamț Monastery.

In 1985–1986, the surrounding buildings, largely belonging to the Jewish community, were torn down as part of the Centrul Civic project.

An 1810 intervention completely enclosed the arches in masonry; these were opened up during a restoration carried out between 2005 and 2010, meant to bring the church back to its original appearance.

During its enclosed phase, light entered through two small windows on the west side and one each on the north and south.

Once separated from the nave by three arches resting on columns, it too has a spherical ceiling, on which sits the original bell tower base.