"Assumption of Virgin Mary" and "St. Pantelimon " Church – Mantuleasa

The Orthodox Church "Assumption of Virgin Mary" and "St. Pantelimon "- Mântuleasa is a historical architectural monument of local interest, located in the central area of Craiova, on Calea Unirii St., no 59. The building is surrounded by other significant historical monuments, including the Varvoreanu House, the Nicolae Romanescu House, the Feraru House and the Grigorescu House.
The story of the church is inscribed by its entrance: " By the will of Our Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, this church was built in 1792 on the grounds of an older one, having the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Saint Panteleimon and St. Catherine as patron saints, by the tailor’s guild helped by the treasurer Barbu Știrbei as well as other local merchants. Being severely degraded, the church was rebuilt in 1896 by priest Ilie Dumitrescu’s diligence and the financial help of several wealthy parishioners and painted by the Romanian painter Costache Petrescu. Between 2011-2012 the church was consolidated and restored together with the whole historical ensemble, under the patronage of IPS Dr. Irineu Popa, the Archbishop of Craiova and the Metropolitan of Oltenia, by the diligence of P.C. Parish priest Constantin Reşceanu.
The first place of worship built on the site of the current Mântuleasa church was a small wooden church built in the early or mid-eighteenth century by the landlady Despina (or Dospina), the wife of treasurer Strămbeanu. At that time, it was not a common thing for a woman to set up churches, the same initiative being also taken by Dumitra Ştirbei, the wife of the great high Steward Constantin Ştirbei for the Holy Trinity Church.
By the end of the century, a stone church was built right on the place of the tiny church, at the initiative of the treasurer Barbu Ştirbei, supported by the tailor’s guild as well as other local merchants. According to an article from the Archives of Oltenia, 10, no. 54-55, from March to June 1931, an old inscription dated June 2, 1786 of this destroyed church stated loan Tarzibașa ( terzibașă meaning chief of tailors), Matei Tarzibaşa, Master Dicu Cojocaru, cupbearer Constantin Otetelișanu, Dragu Dumitru and Stoian Croitoru among its founders. Due to this significant contribution, the church took over Saint Pantelimon-patron of the tailor’s guild as its own patron. The guild specific flag, which was taken at the end of the 19th century and later deposited at the Princess Ileana Crafts Corporation from Craiova, disappeared during the German occupation of Oltenia, in 1916-1918. No particular details about the architectural style and appearance of the Mântuleasa church from 1786 are known.
Source:
http://www.monumenteoltenia.ro/biserica-mantuleasa-craiova/