The Scaune Church ( ro, Biserica Scaune) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 2 Scaune 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 Dormition of the Mother of God and to the Nativity of Mary. 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 ...

'' indicates the presence of a wooden church in 1611, and a list of priests in the parish archive begins with that year. The first documentary mention dates to 1669, with additional records later in the 17th century. The name derives from the surrounding district, and refers to the wooden slabs on which butchers cut meat. In its first two centuries, it was also known as ''Măcelarilor'' (Butchers’) and ''Săpunarilor'' (Soap makers’). The present church is located on the same site; the ''pisanie'' records that it was completed in 1705. A merchant willed funds for the purpose, which were granted by his nephew. In 1843, the portico arches were enclosed in masonry, while the exterior was plastered and repainted. It was repaired again in 1878, and once more in 1915, when it lay in ruins.Stoica and Ionescu-Ghinea, p. 390 The church was closed from around 1908 to 1939. At that point, repairs started under architect Ștefan Balș-Lupu, who opened the arches and tiled the roof. In 1944, the surrounding soil was cleared away, as the terrain is around one meter higher than the base of the church. New flooring was installed on the interior and exterior. The

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...

, dating to the early 18th century, was restored, as was the baldachin. The interior frescoes are original, their date and author unknown; these too were cleaned and repaired. The church reopened on August 15, 1944, the primary feast day, and was reconsecrated on September 8, the second feast. The cross-shaped church measures 27.1 meters long by 8.3 to 12 meters wide, with thick walls. Its only dome, the octagonal bell tower with recessed arches above 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 ...

, was rebuilt in 1954. There was originally another one above the nave, which was not restored, and the central part of this section has a vaulted ceiling. The portico features ten thick brick columns supporting five quite narrow arches on the western facade (the central one being larger) and two on each side. It has two vaulted ceiling sections. The stone

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

is carved with floral designs. The wooden door is coated in tin, signed by a worker in 1795. The exterior decoration is light: a

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 ...

between two rows of brick set in sawtooth pattern, a cornice with a similar design and windows with simple stone frames. The cornice and dome base feature specially positioned bricks. The parish house dates to 1947. 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,

External links

* {{coord, 44.43521, 26.10566, format=dms, type:landmark_region:RO, display=title Historic monuments in Bucharest Romanian Orthodox churches in Bucharest Churches completed in 1705