Mănăstirea Sfinții Trei Ierarhi

Founded by the ruler Vasile Lupu in the seventeenth century, this is the most spectacular medieval building in Iași. One feature makes it unique: the entire façade is covered in carved stone, in a continuous decorative system of a density found nowhere else in Romanian Orthodox architecture. It is not ornament applied in places but a surface treated in full. Moldavia's first printing press operated here, producing in 1643 *Varlaam's Homiliary*, the first book printed in Romanian on Moldavian soil. It was also here that the relics of Saint Parascheva were first brought, in 1641, before being moved to the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1889. The exact location is on the map on this page; public transport gets you there from the centre in a few stops, and a CTP ticket costs 4 lei, valid 120 minutes. A few steps away you will find Palatul Culturii and Catedrala Mitropolitană din Iași. Editorial context in the churches and monasteries guide; the rest of the selection, in all attractions.