Locuri şi oameni din Iaşi. Consideraţii cu privire la începuturile Podului Roş
Places and people of Iaşi. Considerations on the early days of Podul Roş

Summary/Abstract: The present study seeks to analyze the way the oldest bridge over the Bahlui, in Iaşi, has appeared: Podul Roş. The bridge was built in the southern part of town, on a road that crossed a ford and linked the capital of Moldavia to Vaslui, Bârlad and the south. In late 16th century, a dam was set up on the river valley, with a lake beyond it. This is the reason why, in the 17th century, the bridge was downstream of the dam (further downhill from where the bridge stands nowadays). After the dam was destroyed and the lake was infilled, the bridge moved upstream, with the first dwellings starting to appear nearby, after 1700. The study also looks at the status of the land in the bridge area: one part of it belonged to the ruler, who donated it to some of his servants, while another was given over to the St Ioan (Zlataust) monastery. The houses erected on both sides of the bridge created a new neighbourhood (mahalle), called Broşteni, where two churches (Sf. Constantin and Ziua Crucii) were built. The inhabitants had various professions: most of them were initially court workers; they were later joined by an ever-increasing number of craftsmen and merchants. A series of conflicts emerged between them and the Sf. Ioan monastery, revolving around payment of the land rent (bezmen). The first Jews settle after 1750, as well as a growing number of Lipovans, who created their own neighbourhood (Lipovenimea). The first modern stone bridge was built in 1834-1836.

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