Gorgani. Can you hear it? That’s the echo of history whispering around Biserica Sfântul Ilie Gorgani.
This Romanian Orthodox church stands as a testament to faith and resilience. It is located at 5 Silfidelor Street.
Since the 17th century, a church has marked this spot. It sits on a funerary mound or tumulus once in a poor district. This area lay between the Dâmbovița River and a pond near today’s Cișmigiu Gardens.
The oldest mention of it is in a 1639 deed by Matei Basarab. Some believe Șerban Cantacuzino built it around 1678-1688. He made it a metochion of his Cotroceni Monastery. A 1693 document supports this. Constantin Brâncoveanu donated a bell to the church around 1694-95.
Archaeological digs in 1953 found traces of the old church. These included rubble with fresco plaster and glazed discs. These findings confirm that the first church was masonry and not wood.
Records before 1761 and an 1810 registry mention a masonry structure. By Alexander Ypsilantis’ reign, the church was in poor condition. The 1802 earthquake caused walls to collapse. Consequently, it was demolished in 1813.
Reconstruction began with massive walls. Manolache Hrisoscoleo, Ștefan Voinescu, Radu Voinescu, and the winter coat makers’ guild led the effort. This was completed in 1814. Gilding finished in 1819. The 1838 earthquake severely damaged it. Repairs, painting, and altar flooring occurred in 1862. Further repairs took place in 1880, 1886, and 1901.
The portico was once closed with windows. A baldachin stood on wooden poles until 1927. The narthex bell tower was rebuilt in masonry in 1935. The imposing marble staircase dates to 1936. Members of the Iron Guard undertook both projects. They had begun attending services around 1927.
In 1937, Biserica Sfântul Ilie Gorgani hosted funerals for Ion Moța and Vasile Marin. They were Iron Guard members killed in the Spanish Civil War. In 1940, the church hosted the funeral for Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. It also reburied Iron Guard members killed in prison.
After the 1977 earthquake, another consolidation occurred. Alexandru Bassarab, an Iron Guard artist, repainted the frescoes in 1936-1937. He used Neo-Byzantine style with Romanian touches. His work was destroyed in 1982. Other artists decorated the altar and nave between 1982 and 1993.
The church has an unusual three-nave basilica shape. It features a central apse flanked by smaller apses. The church measures 29 meters long and 13 meters wide with the portico. The central nave is wider than the side ones. All three are spanned by six bays. Two rows of stucco-covered wooden columns support a vaulted ceiling.
A fragile wooden dome covered in tin rises above the center. The western facade has a large open portico with five arches. A large octagonal bell tower rises above the portico. One bell dates to 1777, inscribed in Romanian Cyrillic. Another, larger bell, was cast in Polish in 1834.
Inside, the southern nave holds six graves from 1814-1834. They feature carvings in Cyrillic and Greek. The iconostasis was painted at Mount Athos. Relics of Saint Anthony the Great are owned by the church.
A military jail was behind the altar from 1835 to 1848. Nicolae Bălcescu and Grigore Alexandrescu were held there in 1841. Today, Biserica Sfântul Ilie Gorgani is a listed historic monument. It is protected by Romania’s Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.
Step closer. Feel the weight of history etched into its walls. Biserica Sfântul Ilie Gorgani continues to stand. It is a beacon of faith. It is a silent witness to Bucharest’s evolving story.