Church with the Saints

The Church with the Saints, also the Church with the Sibyls (Biserica cu Sibile), is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 79 Calea Moșilor in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Presentation of Mary. Situated at what was once the edge of the city, the church stands on the site of an earlier one. Probably made of wood, this structure dated to the late 17th century and was established by Popa (priest) Hierea Băjescul, whose name (as “Fierea”) was later used to designate the church and its surroundings; he donated it to the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia. The nickname involving sibyls arose as these were painted on the exterior; in the 19th century, saints were added as a designation, for similar reasons. The present church was built under Metropolitan Daniil II; according to the pisanie, the interior was painted and the structure was finished in 1728. Tradition holds that Prince Nicholas Mavrocordatos, riding through the area with Daniil some two years previous, saw the ruined wooden church and proposed its rebuilding. Repaired in 1819, it was severely damaged by the 1838 earthquake.