Saint Joseph Cathedral at 19 General Berthelot Street is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest. Bishop Ignatius Paoli, a Passionist monk and the archdiocese's first archbishop, founded it. The architects were Friedrich Schmidt and Carol Benesch. The Dutch Passionist Alfons Zegers led the early work, and Benesch took over in 1880. The ground was broken in 1875 and construction was completed in 1883. The sources give two consecration dates, February 15 in 1884 and in 1885.
The style is historicist, with Romanesque features and some Gothic elements. The building is about 131 feet (40 meters) long and 72 feet (22 meters) wide, in stone from quarries at Ruse in Bulgaria. The main altar is white Carrara marble.
Construction slowed from a lack of funds and the 1877 War of Independence. Earthquakes and the bombings of 1944 caused damage, and the bombing destroyed the original stained glass.
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