Amzei Church ( ro, Biserica Amzei) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 12 Biserica Amzei Street in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. It is dedicated to the

Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...

. The original church on the site, a small single-domed structure dedicated to

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

, was built between 1807 and 1810. The chief ''

ktetor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox ch ...

'' was the deputy ''Vistier'' (treasurer) of

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...

, Amza Năescu; following his death, the church was nicknamed after him. A list of people to be prayed for (''pomelnic'') survives, carved in elegant

Romanian Cyrillic Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

; it was originally in the altar table and is now in the yard. Prior to 1832, the church was surrounded by cells where a school with two grades for beginners functioned. An 1846 fire destroyed the church; an ample restoration followed. During repairs in 1875, two domes of wood and tin were added. Also that year, a neoclassical stone fountain, partly sculpted, was built on the grounds, near the parish house. The old church was entirely demolished in 1898, on the initiative of the priest. Construction of the present structure, designed by Alexandru Săvulescu, began in July 1898 and was completed in October 1901, as the ''

pisanie A pisanie is an architectural elements, that consists of an inscription carved in stone, wood, metal, painted, etc., on the top of tombs or above the main door at the entrance in a church, in which are recorded information about the church, the don ...

'' records.Stoica and Ionescu-Ghinea, pp. 45-6 The imposing cross-shaped church measures 28.7 meters long by 11 to 15.5 meters wide. It is

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

in style, mainly Beaux-Arts. The exterior ornamentation, of stone and brick, features Romanian Revival touches: rows of brick alternating with masonry, niches beneath the cornice and richly carved

string course A belt course, also called a string course or sill course, is a continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall. Set in line with window sills, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the ...

s. The

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

is somewhat enlarged and there are three spires: a large one above the nave, ending in a spherical cupola and

roof lantern A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure. A lantern roof wil ...

; and two smaller ones above the sides of the narthex. The structure sits on a massive stone base some two meters high. There are three entry portals with doors of carved oak; the main one, on the west side, is beneath a

trefoil arch A trefoil arch, or three-foiled cusped arch, is an arch incorporating the shape or outline of a trefoil – three overlapping circles. It has been widely used for its symbolic significance in Christian architecture. Trefoil arches are common in G ...

. The north and south entrances have fairly deep porticoes with frontal arches. Each of the latter rests on columns with composite capitals, in academic style, and is topped by a sharp pediment. The interior is very high, with natural light entering through stained glass, in addition to three large bronze candelabra. The interior arches and columns are Renaissance Revival. The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Municipiul București

Notes

References

*Lucia Stoica and Neculai Ionescu-Ghinea, ''Enciclopedia lăcașurilor de cult din București'', vol. I. Bucharest: Editura Universalia, 2005, {{DEFAULTSORT:Amzei Historic monuments in Bucharest Romanian Orthodox churches in Bucharest Churches completed in 1901 Eclectic architecture Beaux-Arts architecture