Constantin was born in
1654, in Brâncoveni (Olt County), from a noble Romanian family, as the son of Matthew
Brâncoveanu and Stanca, the sister of the Voivod Şerban Cantacuzino
(1678-1688). His father died in 1655 and
Constantine was raised by his uncle, Constantine Cantacuzino who was postelnic
(chief of the Voivodal Office) at the Court in Bucharest, being one of the most
representative humanists in the medieval Romanian culture. In this way the
future Voivod of Wallachia received the best education of hi stime. He was
fluent in Greek, Latin and Slavonic, and probably also in Turkish.
Constantin married Maria
(popularly named Marica), the granddaughter of Voivod Antonie (1669-1672), and
had together four sons: Constantin, Ștefan, Radu and Matei and seven daughters:
Stanca, Maria, Ilinca, Safta, Anca, Bălașa and Smaranda. Together they reached
an impressive wealth consisting in houses, lands, whole villages and sums of
money deposited different banks in Western Europe.
Being 34 years old,
Constantin was elected as Voivod of Wallachia, after the suddenly and
mysterious death of his uncle. The political situation was very difficult for
the small Romanian principalities who tried to keep further their identity,
during the growth of the Russian power, who came into conflict with the Ottoman
Empire and the Austrian Monarchy - already present in Transylvania since 1699.
The internal policy
Using a clever policy,
Constantin reigned 26 years. Inside Wallachia, Constantin Brâncoveanu supported
the economic and cultural progress, trying to modernize the state apparatus,
reforming the tax system and increasing the Voivodal power, but the excessive
taxation ruined the low class. This was not directly due his wish to be even
richer, but because of the ever increasing demands of the Ottoman Porte, to
whom Wallachia used to pay a tribute even since the beginning of the 15th
century.
Constantin Brâncoveanu supported the
development of the Romanian culture, so that his reign may be called “the
Romanian Renaissance”. His „fingerprint” is considered to be the church and the
buildings complex of the Monastery Horezu (or “Hurezi”), dedicated to Saints
Constantine and Helen, in 1690. As a very pious Voivod, he built also a lot of
other churches or monasteries, but also secular institutions after a totally
new architectural style that combined the mural painting and sculpture local
tradition with the neo-Byzantine style and Italian Renaissance. This
combination was called the „Brâncovenesc” style, which could be considered as
the first typically Romanian current for architecture and painting.
Constantin Brâncoveanu
supported also the printing activity and the schools in Wallachia, but also in
Transylvania, and tried to give a more important role to the Romanian language,
until then only used as a vernacular language. He surrounded himself with great
personalities of culture from the country and abroad, brought especially in
order to prepare the young generation after the European model.
 |
| Mogoşoaia Palace |
In 1689 he brought
from Istanbul a Georgian scholar and monk called Antim, later Metropolitan of
Wallachia and also a saint martyred by the Turks (1716). Under his guidance,
there were printed many books, especially religious, in Romanian, Greek,
Slavic, and even Arabic, Turkish and Georgian, so that Wallachia became a
cultural Centre for the whole Christian culture in the Eastern Europe and in
the Ottoman Empire.
In 1694 the Voivod Constantin
founded the Princial Academy in Bucharest, also known as the College from St.
Sava, the first high school in Wallachia. The teaching language was still
ancient Greek, and the teachers were usually Greeks from Istanbul. Parallel, he
opened some other schools, within the monasteries in Bucharest, having as
teaching language Slavonic and Romanian. He also founded some libraries such as
the one in Mărgineni and Horezu monastery, purchasing many books from Western
Europe.
In foreign policy,
Constantin Brâncoveanu tried to maintain
the balance between the Ottoman Empire, to whom he paid so much every year, and
Austria, with whom he concluded a secret agreement, receiving in exchange for
certain services some noble estates and titles of the Holy Roman Empire. The
fragile equilibrium broke in 1709, when the third political power came in the
game. King Charles XII of Sweden lost the battle with Peter the Great at
Poltava. Shortly after, the powerful Russian troops entered in Moldova, in
order to fight with the Sultan. In that moment, Brâncoveanu made the mistake to
ally with the Russians, considering that this might be the future. So, he wrote
a letter to Peter the Great, in which he promised to help him with military
supplies. Peter sent to Brâncoveanu his thanks and 300 bags of gold. In the meanwhile,
the Turks installed Dimitrie Cantemir, as prince in the other Romanian
Principality, Moldova. He was also known as one of the highest qualified
intellectuals if the whole Europe, but he happened to be an enemy of the Brâncoveanu
family. The first thing Cantemir did was to ally also with the Tsar. Being a
proud leader, in this situation, Brâncoveanu tried to play on both sides and helost.
In waiting a confrontation between the Russian and the Ottoman troops, he
gathered his army at Urlaţi, near the border with Moldova and, in case that the
Russians wanted to enter in Wallachia, he planned to ally with them, but if the
Turks would have been faster, he intended to remain on the Turkish side. During
this time his cousin, Toma Cantacuzino fled with a part of the army to the
Tsar, telling him the plans of the Voivod. Scared about the situation,
Brâncoveanu sent back to Peter the Great his 300 bags of gold and supplied the
Turks. The battle between the two great powers happened in Moldova, near the
Prut River, at Stănileşti, in 1711, and the Russians have lost.
The end of his reign
Even since 1711, the
sultan Ahmed III (1703-1730) planned to put someone else on the throne of
Wallachia, because of the lack of loyalty of Brâncoveanu and because he tried
to fortify his position against the Austrian Monarchy. But even if he usually
did this without any problems before, Constantin was too powerful, had too many
connections among the Western powers, so that the „revenge” was planned in a
few years.
 |
| Horezu Monastery |
In 1714 Constantin was
planning the marriage of his son Radu with the daughter of Antioh Cantemir,
former Voivod of Moldova (1695 – 1700; 1705 – 1707). For she was in Istanbul,
Brâncoveanu tried to improve his relations with the Sultan and sent him a
letter and 4000 golden coins. Even if first the Sultan communicated to him that
he has nothing against this marriage, he sent Ali Pasha to Bucharest to arrest
Brâncoveanu. The Voivod didn’t know that all his relatives were already against
him and no one tried at least to help him. That is why, on March 25, 1714, the
Turks came in Bucharest and removed Constantine from the throne of Wallachia.
The reason invoked was, according to Mehmed Rashid, a contemporary Turkish
chronicler, that he gathered too much wealth and weapons and prepared a
rebellion against the Porte, waiting the moment to reign absolutely
independently. He was taken to Istanbul
together with his family and imprisoned at the fortress of Yedikule („the Seven
Towers”). Of course, all their possessions were confiscated, and he was
tortured by the Turks, who hoped to locate his other possessions. His fabulous
wealth became somehow legendary, and the Turks used to call him „Altin Bey”
(the Prince of Gold). Finally, he was obliged under torture to sign for the
gold deposited in Venice.
The Martyrdom
The execution of
Constantin and his family happened on 15 August 1714, at Ialy Kisc („the kiosk
at the sea”), on the day of the Dormition of Our Lady, the very day when he
turned 60 years and his wife celebrating her namesday.
Sultan Ahmed III
commanded a „grandiose ceremony” in order to humiliate his adversaries.
Together with him were present also the ambassadors of France, England, Austria
and Russia, who were invited to see his manifestation of power. Constantin was
brought here not alone, but with his four sons Constantin, Radu, Ştefan and
Matei and his confident Ianache Văcărescu. The sultan permitted them a last
prayer and offered them one more chance to convert to Islam. The Italian
chronicler Antonio Del Chiaro noted the answer of Constantine: „Your majesty, you have taken my fortune, but
I don’t abandon my Christian law. I was
born and lived in it and I want to die in it (=as Christian). I filled the
earth of my country with Christian churches and, now, attaining an old age, should
I bow to your Turkish mosques? No, your Highness! I defended my land, I kept my
faith I want to close my eyes in my faith and my sons together with me”.
After that, he encouraged his sons „My
children, have courage! I lost everything I had on this earthly world. We have
left only our souls, we shall not lose them too, but we shall get them clean
before our Savior Jesus Christ. Let’s wash our sins with our blood!”
After the beheading of
Ianache Văcărescu, the executioners took the four sons. Even if Matei, the
youngest protested and asked his father to let him convert to Islam, because he
didn’t live his life, Constantine was radical and forbade him such a thing. His
son accepted his father’s decision and finally chose to die too. He was only 11
years old. Finally Voivod Constantine was also beheaded.
The bodies of the
martyrs were thrown into the waters of Bosphorus and their heads were worn in spears
through the streets of Constantinople and hanged for 3 days at the gates of the
Seray. Later they were also thrown into the waters o the sea. Some Christians
have „fished” the bodies and buried them secretly in the Assumption Church from
Halki island, during their heads were brought in Wallachia by Lady Mary in 1720
and secretly buried in the new church of St. Gheorghe from Bucharest. The tomb
was covered by a white marble plate, without any name or identification. The
discovery of the fact that the head of the Voivod is buried here, happened only
in 1914, because of an inscription on a silver lamp until then remained
unobserved: „This lamp, which was given
to [the church of] St. George the New, lights where are resting the bones of
the blessed Lord Voivode Io Constantin Brâncoveanu Basarab and was made by her
Excellency Mrs. Maria, who hopes for the resting of her bones also here. July,
12 days, year 7228 (= 1720)” Her wish was fulfilled in 1745, when she died
and was buried there.
On June 20, 1992 the
Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized the martyrs Brâncoveanu, setting
their memorial not on August 15,because of the great Feast of Our Lady, but the
second day, on August 16 memorial day.
 |
| The Tomb in St. George Church, Bucharest |
Troparion (hymn) of the saints
 |
| St. George Church in Bucharest and the monument of St. Constantine |
Being worthy to suffer a martyrical death for
the right faith and for your people together with his sons Constantin, Ştefan, Radu, Matei and with the counselor Ianache, Oh, right-faithful
Voievod Constantin, pray to Christ God to save our souls!
No comments:
Post a Comment