The clerical dignitary Paul of Aleppo called this unique ed-
ifice the eighth Wonder of the World, when it was consecrated in 1517, after 5 years of construction. The ecumenical patriarch, all the abbots from Mount Athos and over one thousand priests were present at the ce­lebration. Guests at the time compared the building with the Temple of Zion and the Hagia Sophia. The episcopal church is laid out in the shape of a fourleafed clover and its outer walls are decorated with over 150 different motifs, including circles, twisted rope, flowers, leaves and various plants, to mention just a few. This jewel certainly deserves to be counted as one of the most beautiful and well-known architectural monuments in Rumania. Our model is built out of Carrara marble, is around 30 years old and was one of the best examples of the art of model making in the whole world when it was completed.