Haven’t you wondered how a church gets a name like Manu Cavafu? The Biserica Sfinții Arhangheli Mihail și Gavril often called Manu Cavafu Church holds secrets within its walls. It stands as a testament to faith and community.
This Romanian Orthodox church is located on Gheorghe Șincai Boulevard in Bucharest. It is near the Tineretului metro station. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Its story is quite interesting.
Until 1969 the exact construction date of the Manu Cavafu Church was unknown. A partly deteriorated inscription made it difficult to determine. That year the parish priest made a discovery. He found a petition from Christians in the Broșteni district addressed to the Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia.
Manul “Cavaful” the head of the shoemakers’ guild authored the petition. He requested permission to build a church. The land belonged to the late Hagi Dumitrache Papazoglu. This request aligned with Papazoglu’s will. The petition was dated July 1815. Construction likely began on August 15 a date mentioned on the inscription.
The structure was probably erected by the summer of 1816. It was fully completed by November 1817. A document from that time confirms this. So the Manu Cavafu Church has a history dating back to the early 19th century.
Repairs were carried out on the Manu Cavafu Church in 1868, 1891 and 1906. The painting was redone in 1929. Major repairs occurred in 1949–1950 and 1957. Repainting took place under Patriarch Justinian. His portrait is among the ktetors. Sadly the 1930 parish house was demolished in 1985. This made way for the surrounding apartment blocks.
The Manu Cavafu Church features two spires. One sits above the nave. The other the bell tower rises above the narthex. Inside the iconostasis is carved in wood and gilded. The facades are simple. A classical cornice and pediment adorn the western side. Three panels of saints’ icons are painted here.
The church’s name comes from Manul Cavafu. He was the leader of the shoemakers. They settled south of Slobozia Domnească near the Șerban Vodă bridge. These shoemakers sought a place to build their church. Another theory suggests a Jupân Manu Cavafu requested permission from the Metropolitan in 1815. He wanted to build the church.
The Metropolitan Nectarie inspected the site. He approved the construction. The church would have two priests and 150 parishioner families. The foundation stone was laid in 1815. The church was finished before November 14, 1817. Architecturally the Manu Cavafu Church maintains a simple traditional style. It is characteristic of a small church. The building follows a triconc plan. It measures 29×9 meters.
The Manu Cavafu Church is more than just a building. It is a historic monument listed by Romania’s Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs. It is a place where petitions were answered and a community thrived.