The Saint George Cathedral (Catedrala Sfântul Gheorghe) is a historic Romanian Orthodox church in Slatina, built between 1872 and 1877 on the site of an earlier church founded by the merchant Ionașcu Cupețu. Also known as Ionașcu Cathedral (Catedrala Ionașcu), it stands on a small rise below Grădiște Hill and is dedicated to Saint George.
The earlier church was constructed between 1782 and 1787 through the efforts of Ionașcu Cupețu, a wealthy local merchant who devoted part of his fortune to charitable institutions in Slatina. Together with his wife, Neaga, he supported the establishment of a school and a hospital, as well as public fountains that supplied the town with drinking water. These institutions were maintained through the foundation established with the couple’s estate, which also provided the funds for rebuilding the church when its condition deteriorated during the 19th century.
The old church was demolished in 1873, and a larger cathedral was constructed in its place, with the new building consecrated on November 8, 1877. Its interior was decorated by Gheorghe Tattarescu, a prominent Romanian painter whose religious works combined Orthodox subjects with influences from Western academic painting. The founder’s original inscription and tombstone were preserved from the earlier church, maintaining a connection with the merchant whose charitable foundation had financed both buildings.
The cathedral has a monumental masonry structure with a broad entrance façade, arched openings, and towers rising above the roofline. Its interior contains Tattarescu’s religious paintings, while subsequent repairs and renovations have maintained the building’s use as a place of worship. Following the establishment of the Diocese of Slatina and Romanați, the church became known as the Old Cathedral (Catedrala Veche), distinguishing it from the newer Episcopal Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord.
