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Neagoe Basarab

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Neagoe Basarab
Voivode of Wallachia
Voivode of Wallachia
Reign23 January 1512 – 15 September 1521
PredecessorVlad cel Tânăr
SuccessorTeodosie of Wallachia
Bornc. 1459
Died15 September 1521 (aged c. 62)
Burial
SpouseMilica Despina of Serbia
IssueTeodosie of Wallachia
Ioan
Petru
Stana of Wallachia
Angelina of Wallachia
Ruxandra of Wallachia
HouseHouse of Craiovești
FatherPârvu Craiovescu or Basarab Țepeluș cel Tânăr
MotherDoamna Neaga
ReligionEastern Orthodox Church

Neagoe Basarab
Neagoe Basarab, Milica Despina and his children pictured on the murals of the Curtea de Argeş Monastery
Voivode of Wallachia
Venerated inEastern Orthodoxy
Canonized8 July 2008, Bucharest by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church[1]
Major shrineCathedral of Curtea de Argeș, Curtea de Argeș, Romania
Feast26 September
AttributesCrown
Cross
Sword
Scroll
Hesychast
PatronageRomania

Neagoe Basarab (Romanian pronunciation: ['ne̯aɡo.e basaˈrab]; c. 1459 – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craiovești (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Craiovescu or Basarab Țepeluș cel Tânăr, Neagoe Basarab, who replaced Vlad cel Tânăr after the latter rejected Craioveşti tutelage, was noted for his abilities and competence. He is sometimes mentioned as Neagoe Basarab IV,[2] due to other Wallachian rulers by the name Basarab (not Neagoe Basarab) preceding him on the throne, some of them certain members of the House of Basarab and some less so.

Reign

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Neagoe Basarab and his son Theodosie
(icon from the Dionysiou monastery)

In the 16th century, Wallachia was independent, but was required to pay an exorbitant tribute to the greater force of the Ottoman Empire. Neagoe encouraged the development of crafts and trade, while maintaining a good relation with Wallachia's other powerful neighbour, Hungary.

His diplomacy attempted to establish connections with the Republic of Venice and the Papacy, even offering to mediate the dispute between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, with the purpose of uniting Christendom against the Ottoman threat.

He adopted the Byzantine tradition of Church patronage, making generous donations to the Orthodox monasteries, not only in Wallachia but throughout the Balkans. During his reign the Curtea de Argeș Monastery was built (in 1517) – legend names Meșterul Manole as the chief craftsman; the account also fuses Neagoe with yet another legendary figure, Prince Radu (who would've caused Manole's death by ordering for the scaffolding to be removed while the builders were on the roof, ensuring that nobody would use Manole's craft, and thus preserving the uniqueness of the structure).

Neagoe ordered the earliest works on the old Metropolitan church in Târgoviște (the city where the edition of the Gospels was published in 1512) and St. Nicholas Church in Șcheii Brașovului.

Neagoe Basarab wrote in Church Slavonic one of the earliest literary works of Wallachia, called "The teachings of Neagoe Basarab to his son Theodosie" (translated in Romanian as Învățăturile lui Neagoe Basarab către fiul său Teodosie), where he touches various subjects such as philosophy, diplomacy, morals and ethics.

Family

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He married Milica Despina, daughter of Serbia. Among their children are Teodosie of Wallachia and Ruxandra, wife of Radu of Afumați and Radu Paisie, both princes of Wallachia.

Canonisation

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On 8 July 2008, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church officially canonised Neagoe Basarab. His feast day is celebrated every year on 26 September.

See also

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Literature

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  • Grigore, Mihai-D. (2015). Neagoe Basarab - Princeps Christianus: Christianitas-Semantik im Vergleich mit Erasmus, Luther, Machiavelli (1513-1523). Erfurter Studien zur Kulturgeschichte des Orthodoxen Christentums, Volume 10 (in German). Frankfurt: Peter Lang. p. 433. ISBN 9783631665077.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Trecerea în rândul sfinţilor a domnitorului Neagoe Basarab, a lui Dionisie cel Smerit si a mitropolitului Iachint de Vicina" (in Romanian). Basilica (Romanian Orthodox Church news agency). 2008-07-08. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  2. ^ Sundhaussen, Holm; Clewing, Konrad, eds. (2016). Lexikon zur Geschichte Südosteuropas [Dictionary of Southeast-European History] (in German). Vienna: Böhlau Verlag. p. 1025. ISBN 320578667X. Retrieved 24 February 2022.


Neagoe Basarab
House of Craiovești
Born: 1462 Died: 1508
Regnal titles
Preceded by Voivode of Wallachia
1512–1521
Succeeded by