This is the Patriarchal Cathedral of Romania's Orthodox Church atop of the Mitropoliei hill where the whole complex of church buildings is located. It was built in the years 1656-1658 by king Constantin Serban Basarab and was finished 11 years later during the reign of Radu Leon when it became the seat of the Metropolitan Church and the centre of Romanian Orthodox Christianity. The main structure is the original 17th century's design but it was modified several times. It seems somewhat 'stern' on the outside compared to the charming Stavropoleos Church, but check the inside and especially the mural paintings on the porch's vaulted ceiling (see the last picture in this travelogue).