On one of the corners of Piata Revolutiei, next to the former Royal Palace,
lies the beautiful red brick Cretulescu church, one of the oldest churches in Bucharest. It was commisioned in 1722 by
the boyar Iordache Cretulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of prince Constantin Brancoveanu. The church is built in
the style created by Constantin Brancoveanu, a seventeenth century ruler of Wallachia, who commisioned numerous buildings
during his reign and set out to create a distinctive national genre of architecture. The Brâncovenesc or Brancovean Style
blends Byzantine and Western architectural elements together with indigeneous forms. Another fine example of this style
is Mogosoaia palace, outside Bucharest. The church suffered damage during the 1989 revolution but was recently restored.
The frescoes in the porch are especially beautiful. Inside there still can be seen fragments of the late nineteen century
frescoes (1859 - 1860) done by Gheorghe Tattarescu, a great Romanian painter. To the side of the church stands a memorial
bust of Corneliu Coposu who spent 17 years in prison for his anti-communist activities and was awarded the Legion d'Honeur
by French government. Address: Calea Victoriei 45 A.
