The church "ktetor" was Constantin Racoviță, Prince of Moldavia; it was built in 1756 on land donated by a painter. The "Chronicles of the Land of Moldavia" mention an earlier wooden church on the site. The church gradually became part of a monastery complex, surrounded by a stone wall. In 1789, it offered shelter to Russian and Austrian troops during the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791).