The Bărăția Church (Biserica Bărăția), located on Ion C. Brătianu Boulevard, is the oldest catholic church in Bucharest. Its remarkable bell tower is an important landmark of the city. The name of the church has been derived from the Hungarian word barát, which means ‘brother’ or ‘monk’ and was a common name for catholic churches.
The history of the church goes back to the 14th century when Franciscan monks from Bulgaria built a wooden church in this location, mainly for Italian merchants traveling to the Byzantine Empire. Over time the church has been rebuilt several times and between 1629 and 1633 it was reconstructed from stone. In the 18th century, a lack of funds caused delays in restoration works until King Leopold I and Prince Nicholas Mavrocordatos respectively donated 1,500 and 280 golden ducats, and the works could be completed in 1741.
After the the church burned down during the Great Fire of Bucharest in 1847, the Imperial House of Vienna donated 4,000 guilders for restoration works. The church bell from 1855 was financed by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. During the communist era, the estate was confiscated by the state and several buildings surrounding the church were demolished.
