A Tree Falling

Friday, August 7, 2026

Eastern Europe 2026: Stavropoleos Church

Stavropoleos Church sits right in the heart of Bucharest's Old Town. Danelle and I were sitting at lunch, planning all the places we wanted to see, and then realized, "Oh, hey -- this one's right here."

The church is small, and surrounded by fairly unassuming buildings so that it almost escapes notice. But stepping inside takes your breath away.

The church was built in 1724, demolished by a series of earthquakes in the late 19th century, then rebuilt and restored.

Hand-painted frescoes on the ceiling depict Biblical scenes centered around the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Interestingly, some parts of the interior were off limits to photographs, as this lady communicated to me with a shake of her head when I pointed to something I hoped to shoot.

The monastery's courtyard acts as an open-air museum, displaying various 18th-century crosses and architectural fragments.

This particular tombstone features an inscription written in the Church Slavonic language, developed by Saints (and brothers) Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century.

A very promising first stop on our self-guided walking tour of Bucharest's Old Town!

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