Iasi is the largest city in Northeast Romania and the local region of Moldova. Their main monuments are the fortified churches and monasteries built around the city center during the Turkish rule, and the monumental edifice of the Palace of Culture, combining the influences of the Gothic Revival, Art Nouveau and traditional Romanian architecture.
A trade settlement at the crossroads of the main routes through Romania was established here in the 14th century. It developed rapidly and in 1565 it was raised to the rank of the capital of the Moldavian Farm, remaining so until the 19th century. Until the unification of Romania, it remained under Turkish control, and the occupiers forbade building here the castle or the defensive walls.
This is how the idea of building fortified monasteries and churches was born. They surrounded the center of Iasi with a ring, and some of them have survived to this day. The most beautiful are the monasteries of Golia, Galata, Frumoas, Cetatuia and Podgoria Copou and the Cathedral of the Three Hierarchs. The latter is covered from the outside with reliefs with geometric and floral motifs.
The center of Iasi's religious life is the eclectic cathedral of St. Paraskeva from the second half of the 19th century. Its interior is covered with colorful polychromes combining traditional Romanian influences with Italian painting. Preserved here is the miraculous icon of St. Paraskeva, where crowds of pilgrims come.
The most impressive building in the city is the Palace of Culture from the interwar period, located on the outskirts of the Old Town. It was supposed to be a visible sign of the power of the united Romanian State. The mighty building, combining the features of Gothic, Art Nouveau and local patterns, today houses several museums, a library, a theater and numerous art studios.
