Fortified church of St. Precistus
The fortified church of St. Precistus was built between 1643 and 1647 and is a symbol of the city. It was built in what was then Moldavia under Ottoman administration. Half a century after the completion of the construction of the Precista church, the Ottoman Empire was in decline, and for more than a century the church was damaged in wars involving Austria, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In 1940, during the Second World War (1939-1945), a great earthquake seriously damaged the church. It was restored between 1952 and 1966 and functioned as a museum of medieval religious art. Further restoration and consolidation took place during the years 1991-1994, after which the church was returned to Orthodox worship.