Mărcuța Church () is a

Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...

church in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

on the east side of the Pantelimon district. Built in 1587, it is one of the oldest structures still in use today in Romania. In the past the church served the Mărcuța Monastery which was situated on the outskirts of the city.

Description

The construction was started by logofăt Dan in 1586, during the reign of

Mihnea Turcitul Mihnea II Turcitul ("Mihnea the Turned-Turk"; July 1564 – October 1601) was Prince (Voivode) of Wallachia between September 1577 and July 1583, and again from April 1585 to May 1591. Rise to the throne The only son of Alexandru II Mircea a ...

. Vișana, the daughter of armașul Marcu, later renovated the structure (hence the name "Mărcuța"). In the interior of the old church, paintings on the wall from the 16th century can be observed depicting armașul Marcu. The church was renovated during 1632–1654, 1678–1688 and 1966–1967. Because of its location in a swamp near

Lake Fundeni Lake Fundeni is a man-made lake on the Colentina River in Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population ...

and its heavy fortified walls, the Mărcuța Monastery served as a refuge for the people in the area during enemy invasions. During the plague in the 19th century it served as a hospital and also as a mass grave. In 1839, the first mental hospital in Wallachia opened at Mărcuța, and it continued to be the country's primary facility of this sort until 1920.

Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...

was hospitalized here during his later years of life for a mercury-based treatment.

Gallery

Marcuta Monestery entrance.JPG, Mărcuța Monastery entrance File:Marcuta Monestery bell tower.JPG, Mărcuța Monastery bell tower Marcuta Church back view.JPG, Mărcuța Church back view Historic monuments in Bucharest Romanian Orthodox churches in Bucharest Former Christian monasteries in Romania Churches completed in 1587 {{Romania-EO-church-stub