Historical landmarks of Romania (part 1)

History buffs and not only, here we come with some highlights of Romanian history (made easy) from beginnings to present, embellished with some legends and interesting facts.

This is part 1, an exercise from the beginnings until the small Unification from 1859.

Romania has a long and complex history that goes back many centuries. In the following, I will only highlight chronologically the moments that I find important in Romanian history, but also relevant to understand actual facts about Romania and the Romanians. You will also discover some legends of places that will enable you to comprehend the creative spirit and traditions Romanians share, as well as interesting facts.

In a nutshell, no matter which epic part of Romania you aim to explore, some history understanding can only help.

• Dacia is the name given by Romans to ancient Romania. Even nowadays you’ll find lots of names containing this word; our car manufacturer is called Dacia Renault.

• Burebista was the first Dacian king who reigned in the 1^st century BC. He was the first king to successfully unify the tribes of the Dacian Kingdom.

• Decebal was a brave Dacian king who managed to consolidate the Dacian state to such a level of prosperity that it was a threat. Therefore, the Romans under Trajan’s leadership attacked Dacia and managed to conquer it in 101 A.D.

• Sarmizegetusa (Regia) was the capital of Dacia and the centre of a strategic defensive system.

• Medieval states in the Romanian space were created based on local autonomy: Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia and Dobrogea (Dobruja). Back then, history recalled a majoritarian Romanian population with ethnical infusion from: Hungarians, Saxons, Szeklers, Turks, Jews, Greeks, Romani, Serbians, Armenians, Bulgarians, etc. Major historical events took place in three major regions: Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia.

• Mircea cel Bătrân (Mircea the Old) reigned in the 14^th century over Wallachia; he was a famous leader against the Ottomans defeating them several times.

• Iancu de Hunedoara (John Hunyadi) was a Voivode of Transylvania, a Hungarian military figure of Romanian ancestry who successfully stopped Ottoman invasion in the 15^th century. His name comes in contact most often with the Gothic Corvin Castle that he built, one of the living legends of Transylvania.

• Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) ruled over Wallachia in the 15^th century. He is often considered one of the most important rulers. He continued the offensive against the Ottoman Empire whom he prejudiced immensely and got his nickname from impaling people for unjust deeds. But more than that, the merciless ruler served as inspiration for Dracula. You can look for his roots by visiting splendid medieval Sighisoara, his place of birth, or Poenari fortress, his secondary residence. However, the most iconic place to look for Dracula is Bran Castle, in the heart of the country.

• Poenari fortress is mostly connected to Vlad the Impaler. However, the castle’s construction started long before, during the first part of the 13th century, by Negru Voda.  The names and the residents changed over time and eventually the castle was left in ruins. When Vlad the Impaler became ruler, he rehabilitated the castle, as he considered it would be appropriate as a hiding place from the Turks, jail for enemies, and a safe place to keep the hidden treasures of the country.

The legend goes that when Vlad was about to rehabilitate Poenari fortress, he knew that the people from nearby were mainly boyars plotting against him. He then decided to teach them a lesson, so he attacked them on Easter day as they were feasting,  impaled the old ones and starting walking with them on spikes. As a consequence, the other boyars swore obedience to Vlad the Impaler and helped him rehabilitate the fortress. It is to be found at the end of 1480 stairs  that tourists have to climb. The view one gets though is worth the effort: you can observe the beauty of Fagaras Mountains, Arges river and the Vidraru Dam.

• Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) is another great personality of Romanian history. He was Voivode of Moldavia in the late 15^th century for 47 years. Stephen strengthened Moldavia and successfully defended it against neighbouring empires. He continued the fight against the Ottomans, being victorious in 46 out of 48 battles over the Ottomans. He was highly religious, hence he erected lots of monasteries in Moldova.

• Putna monastery is an Orthodox monastery erected in Moldavia at the order of Stephen the Great. He was very pious and famous for building lots of churches and monasteries. It is said that he founded a religious edifice after each victory. At Putna you can find the tombs of Stephen and his family members.

The legend says that Stephen the Great, after being defeated in one battle, found a hermit who offered him food and shelter. Then, the hermit asked the Prince of Moldavia three times in a row whether he saw anything in the distance. Stephen replied that he saw some lights, but the hermit responded that those lights were angels that showed him that the place was sacred. He also mentioned that, to defeat the enemy, he had to build a church on that very spot. So, Stephen climbed on a mountain top and shot an arrow. On the place where it landed, the altar was built.

• The Monastery of Curtea de Arges is situated in Wallachia, in southern Romania, only 20 km away from Poenari fortress. Its building started in 1512 at the order of Neagoe Basarab, who commanded an Orthodox monastery beyond compare. From the very beginning, this religious monastery proved to be unique given the rare and expensive materials used. The architectural style is Byzantine, with Moorish arabesque influences.

The coming years were rather harsh on the monastery due to attacks and fires, so the church underwent the amplest reconstruction process under Carol the 1^st, the first king of Romania, beginning with 1875. Nowadays it hosts the remains of all Romanian kings and queens who sleep there eternally: kings Carol the 1^st, Ferdinand, Carol the 2^nd, Michael, queens Elisabeta, Maria, Elena and Ana.

The legend of the monastery symbolizes utmost sacrifice. It’s a story of love and loss. Manole, the main constructor, was building the monastery all day long, and the second morning, everything he had built was gone. He then has a dream that tells him that he will only succeed by building the first dear person into the walls of the church. Manole’s pregnant wife happens to be the first person to cross the threshold, so he gathers all his strength to sacrifice his wife in the church. In vain did she cry and scream that Manole wouldn’t listen.

• The battle of Mohács (1526) took place in Hungary. It was fought between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies on one side, and those of the Ottoman Empire on the other. The victory of the Turks led to transformation of the Kingdom of Hungary in autonomous province with its capital at Buda. Thus, Transylvania becomes principality under Ottoman sovereignty (1541). After the defeat of the Turks in Vienna, the Habsburg Monarchy installs at the end of the 17^th century its own political regime in Transylvania recognized by the Karlowitz peace treaty.

• Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) was Prince of Wallachia during times of turmoil when the country was attacked by the Turks. Although he managed to win, Michael had to retreat the troops and wait for aid from his allies. In 1600 he succeeded for a short time to unify the three medieval states that form today’s Romania: Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia.

• When the Habsburgs took over Transylvania, they started reorganizing it. The privileges of the Hungarians, Saxons and Szeklers were confirmed, and there were four religions accepted: Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran and Unitarian.

• After the penetration of the illuminist ideas in Transylvania, Romanians started fighting for their rights. Romanian elite asked for recognition of the Romanian nation and granting of rights and liberties as a consequence of the noble/Latin origin and the continuity in the Carpathian-Danubiano-Pontic area.

• Constantin Brâncoveanu was another Prince of Wallachia in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. Raised in a boyar family, Brâncoveanu’s ruling years represented a time of economic and cultural progress. Politically he is prudent with the Ottomans. Although his political strategy failed, Brâncoveanu never gave up his faith. He was executed together with his four sons and later sanctified by the Orthodox Church. His cultural preoccupations gave birth to a cultural style in architecture called brâncovenesc style.

• Brâncovenesc style is a synthesis between the Byzantine, Ottoman, late Renaissance and Baroque architecture that can best be observed in Horezu Monastery (Horezu), Cotroceni Palace and Mogoșoaia Palace (Bucharest), Stavropoleos church (Bucharest) or Cozia Monastery.

• Dimitrie Cantemir, another representative of Romanian history, was Voivode of Moldavia for a short time at the end of the 17^th century and beginning of the 18^th. Just like his predecessors, he led an anti-Ottoman policy. Besides being a stateman, Cantemir was a learned man with many interests in geography, philosophy, history and music. His scientific activity was rewarded in 1714, being the first Romanian elected member of an international Academy.

• The name of Maria Theresa (empress of the Habsburg Monarchy 1740-1780) is linked to Transylvania. She approaches a policy of religious tolerance, meaning that orthodoxy becomes legal in Transylvania. Socially she regulates the relations between noblemen and peasantry, while in terms of education, Maria Theresa expands the network of rural schools, thus Romanians gain easier access to education.

• Horea, Cloșca and Crișan started an uprising in 1784 in Transylvania. It was triggered by the poor level of the feudal serfdom. People fought for equal taxes or land.

• The 1848 Romanian Revolution was part of the European Revolution movement. It was set and led by a political elite whose representatives had studied in European capitals, mainly Paris, where they took contact with liberal ideas. Most important names were: Nicolae Balcescu, Avram Iancu, Mihail Kogalniceanu, Simion Barnutiu, Al. I. Cuza, etc. They aimed at modernizing the state, granting citizen rights and liberties, as well as respecting political and legal statute.

• Alexandru Ioan Cuza was the first ruler of the Romanian Principalities in 1859, gathering under one umbrella Moldavia and Wallachia. An important role was played by the Congress of Paris (1856), when Russia gave up the left bank of the mouth of the Danube River, including part of Bessarabia to Moldavia, as well as its claim to the special protection of Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Also, the great powers in Europe offered Romania a partial unification without being aware of it. The document didn’t foresee that the rulers of the two countries be different, so the Romanians presented it as a fait accompli, electing Al. I. Cuza ruler for both territories. A few years later, at another Conference, the provisions changed, and the unification was only recognized during the reign of Cuza. He moved the capital to Bucharest. Internally, Cuza adopted laws that led to the rapid modernization of the country, but his politics proved too authoritarian, and brought about the dissatisfaction of the political elite. They forced him to abdicate and leave the country.

to be continued…