In the 17th and 18th centuries, Căușeni was the capital of the
Budjak Horde. The 17th century
Assumption of Our Lady Church is the oldest surviving building in the town. It is set more than below ground level and preserves the only medieval
fresco in the Republic of Moldova. Executed by
Walachian painters in a late Byzantine-Romanian style, the interiors feature religious scenes and iconography in vibrant reds, gold, and blues. At one time it was a vibrant Jewish
shtetl. In 1897, 45% of the population (1,675 people) was Jewish, most working in agriculture. ==Geography==