Udriște Năsturel
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Udriște Năsturel, first name also Uriil, Uril, Ioriste, or Oreste, last name also Năsturelovici (1596 or 1598 – ca. 1658), was a
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
n scholar, poet, and statesman, the brother-in-law of
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
Matei Basarab Matei Basarab (; 1588, Brâncoveni, Olt – 9 April 1654, Bucharest) was a Wallachian Voivode (Prince) between 1632 and 1654. Reign Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1637 ...
through his sister Elena Năsturel. Together, the three staged a cultural revival centered on
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
and
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River. Târgoviște was one of the ...
. Năsturel had risen through the ranks of Wallachian bureaucracy and had served
Radu Mihnea Radu Mihnea (1586 – 13 January 1626) was Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between September 1601 and March 1602, and again between March and May 1611, September 1611 and August 1616, August 1620 and August 1623, and Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia ...
's government in
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
, being kept as ''
Logothete Logothete ( el, λογοθέτης, ''logothétēs'', pl. λογοθέται, ''logothétai''; Med. la, logotheta, pl. ''logothetae''; bg, логотет; it, logoteta; ro, logofăt; sr, логотет, ''logotet'') was an administrative title ...
'' by Matei Basarab. In office, he had an international correspondence and went on diplomatic travels through
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, while also overseeing the printing presses. He was the titular boyar of
Herăști Herăști is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Herăști and Miloșești. Until 2004, these were part of Hotarele Commune, when they were split off to form a separate commun ...
, known in his day as ''Fierești'' and ''Fierăști'', where he built a palace that stands as a late example of
Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
, and earned him a regional fame. Năsturel was primarily an advocate of Old Church Slavonic, the courtly language. He was one of its last exponents in
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. History The development of the Romanian literature took place in parallel with tha ...
, and taught it to students at the school in Târgoviște. His favorite forms of expression were the essay and the rhyming preface, but he also perfected a Slavonic answer to the
blason Blason is a form of poetry. The term originally comes from the heraldic term "blazon" in French heraldry, which means either the blazon, codified description of a coat of arms or the coat of arms itself. The Dutch term is Blazoen, and in either Du ...
, which remained influential for two centuries and was, by some accounts, the first known poem by a
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
. Năsturel, who made mention of the people's Latin origin, also used the Romanian vernacular, in which he notably produced a translation of ''
Barlaam and Josaphat Barlaam and Josaphat, also known as Bilawhar and Budhasaf, are legendary Christian saints. Their life story was based on the life of the Gautama Buddha, and tells of the conversion of Josaphat to Christianity. According to the legend, an Indian ...
''. In his original works, his themes and his linguistic obscurities show a Baroque streak, while his core ideology has been linked to
Renaissance humanism Renaissance humanism was a revival in the study of classical antiquity, at first in Italy and then spreading across Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. During the period, the term ''humanist'' ( it, umanista) referred to teache ...
. An
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
theologian and a ''
ktitor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox ch ...
'' within the Wallachian Metropolis, he was nevertheless attracted to Counter-Reformation ideas, and published Catholic-inspired propaganda against
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
. Năsturel was versed in both Renaissance Latin and classical scholarship, putting out a Slavonic rendition of ''
The Imitation of Christ ''The Imitation of Christ'', by Thomas à Kempis, is a Christian devotional book first composed in Medieval Latin as ''De Imitatione Christi'' ( 1418–1427).''An introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious studies'', by Orlando O. Esp ...
''. Udriște's first-born, Mateiaș, was adopted by the princely couple and groomed as heir to the throne, but died in 1652, before reaching maturity. This event inspired the ''Logothete'' to write his last poem, a conventional
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
. His sister died in 1653, and his brother-in-law a year later. Năsturel survived the rise of
Constantin Șerban Constantin II Șerban (? – 1682) was Prince of Wallachia between 1654 and 1658, illegitimate son to Radu Şerban. According to custom, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince. Reign His rule saw the rebe ...
, being for a while reappointed as ''
Spatharios The ''spatharii'' or ''spatharioi'' (singular: la, spatharius; el, σπαθάριος, literally " spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely ...
'', although he was cousins with the rebel leader Hrizea. A new Prince,
Mihnea III Mihnea III Radu ( tr, Radu Gioan Bey; 1613 – 5 April 1660), was a Prince of Moldavia, and ruler of Wallachia from March 1658 to November 1659. His father was alleged to have been the Voivode Radu Mihnea. Family Ancestry claims Radu's ancestry ...
, identified Năsturel as one of the boyars standing in the way of his political projects, and included him in his murderous purge. The ''Spatharios'' was strangled at
Curtea Veche Curtea Veche (the Old Princely Court) was built as a palace or residence during the rule of Vlad III Dracula in 1459. Archaeological excavations started in 1953, and now the site is operated by the ''Muzeul Municipiului București'' in the histor ...
, and his body was desecrated in the streets of Bucharest. He was survived by another son, Radu Toma, who held major political offices under
George Ducas Voivode George Ducas (Greek: ''Γεώργιος Δούκας'', Romanian: ''Gheorghe Duca'') (c. 1620 – 31 March 1685) was three times prince of Moldavia (September 1665 – May 1666, November 1668 – 20 August 1672, November 1678 – Januar ...
. His direct line of descent was maintained until the 1874 death of Constantin Năsturel-Herescu.


Biography


Origins

Despite its claim to have originated in Roman Dacia and its alleged links to the Fogoras nobility,Sorin Iftimi, ''Vechile blazoane vorbesc. Obiecte armoriate din colecții ieșene'', pp. 191–192. Iași: Palatul Culturii, 2014. the Năsturel clan was first attested as belonging to boyardom in the late 15th century. A period document by "Vlad Vodă", brother of Radu the Great, confirms that, by 1501, the Năsturels were long established as the owners of
Herăști Herăști is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Herăști and Miloșești. Until 2004, these were part of Hotarele Commune, when they were split off to form a separate commun ...
(traditionally in
Ilfov County Ilfov () is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of Communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs ...
,Gane, p. 235 now in Giurgiu) and other Wallachian villages. The same document suggests that Vrăjoghie, the family patriarch, was "of My Highness' own house", namely the
House of Basarab The House of Basarab (also Bazarab or Bazaraad, ro, Basarab ) was a ruling family of debated Cuman origin, Terterids and Shishmanids) and the Wallachian dynasty (Basarabids). They also played an active role in Byzantium, Hungary and Serbia, wi ...
. A 19th-century author, Dimitrie Papazoglu, also argued that the family had a deep connection to the village, and later capital city, of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, suggesting that they were the builders of an ancient church in Dobroteasa ''
mahala is an Arabic word variously translated as district, quarter, ward, or "neighborhood" in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations. History Historically, mahallas were autonomous social in ...
''. He also proposed that Herăști took its name from a family patriarch, "Count" Herea Năsturel. The genealogical link with the ruling princes was in any case enhanced ca. 1600, when Udriște's father, the ''
Postelnic ''Postelnic'' (, plural: ''postelnici,'' from the Slavic ''postel'', "bed"; cf. Russian '' postelnichy'') was a historical rank traditionally held by boyars in Moldavia and Wallachia, roughly corresponding to the position of '' chamberlain''. I ...
'' and ''
Logothete Logothete ( el, λογοθέτης, ''logothétēs'', pl. λογοθέται, ''logothétai''; Med. la, logotheta, pl. ''logothetae''; bg, логотет; it, logoteta; ro, logofăt; sr, логотет, ''logotet'') was an administrative title ...
'' Radu Năsturel, married Despina, a cousin or niece of
Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
. According to researcher
Constantin Gane Constantin Gane (March 27, 1885 – April or May 1962) was a Romanian novelist, amateur historian, biographer and memoirist. Born into the Boyars of Wallachia and Moldavia, boyar aristocracy of Western Moldavia, he worked as a lawyer in Bucharest, ...
, Despina, known as ''Cala'' in some sources,Tănăsescu, p. 183 may have been the daughter of boyar Radu Calomfirescu. Udriște was probably born in 1596, although other sources also propose 1598.Nicolescu, p. 35 It is also believed that he was a native of Herăști, which he once described as "my parental village". Radu and Despina had two other sons, Șerban and Cazan, both of whom were probably older than Udriște. His first name, Udriște, is an archaic, now obscure, derivative from "
Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the mai ...
". Năsturel, like other scholars, mistakenly believed that it was from "
Uriel Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is menti ...
" and akin to "
Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; grc-gre, Ὀρέστης ) was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and the brother of Electra. He is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays and of various myths connected with his madness an ...
", sometimes signing himself as ''Uri(i)l'', ''Orest'', or ''Ioriste''. His family name originates with ''nasture'' ("button"); he sometimes used the variant ''Năsturelovici'', with a Slavic suffix, as was the fashion among intellectual boyars. Șerban, Cazan, and Udriște also had two sisters. One was the future Stanca Popescu. The other, known to have been Udriște's junior, was Elena (Eliana) Năsturel. According to Gane, she and Udriște were the most educated of Radu's children, being taught to read and write in Church Slavonic and
Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...
, and being introduced to art and history.Gane, p. 236 Their father also displayed an interest in Renaissance literature; he had confiscated or bought a copy of
Thomas à Kempis Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380 – 25 July 1471; german: Thomas von Kempen; nl, Thomas van Kempen) was a German-Dutch canon regular of the late medieval period and the author of '' The Imitation of Christ'', published anonymously in Latin in the ...
' ''
The Imitation of Christ ''The Imitation of Christ'', by Thomas à Kempis, is a Christian devotional book first composed in Medieval Latin as ''De Imitatione Christi'' ( 1418–1427).''An introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious studies'', by Orlando O. Esp ...
'', in the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, while fighting a war in
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
. Helped by a private tutor, Udriște used that same book to learn Latin, which he could speak to perfection. In addition to Latin, Slavonic and Greek, Udriște was fluent in Russian.Nicolescu, p. 36 Some authors have suggested that Năsturel also attended school in
Kiev Voivodeship The Kiev Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kijowskie, la, Palatinatus Kioviensis, uk, Київське воєводство, ''Kyjivśke vojevodstvo'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, but this is not attested by any contemporary source.


Debut

By 1618, Udriște had joined the Wallachian bureaucracy, being attested, alongside his brother Șerban, as a scribe (''diac'') to the court of Prince
Radu Mihnea Radu Mihnea (1586 – 13 January 1626) was Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between September 1601 and March 1602, and again between March and May 1611, September 1611 and August 1616, August 1620 and August 1623, and Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia ...
. When the latter took over as
Prince of Moldavia This is a list of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of Ro ...
, Năsturel followed, and, in 1625, was attested as a scribe for the court in
Hârlău Hârlău (also spelled ''Hîrlău'', ; he, חרלאו; hu, Harló) is a town in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It was one of the princely court cities of Moldavia, in the 15th century. One village, Pârcovaci, is administered by the to ...
.Stoicescu, p. 215 Returning to Bucharest, he maintained this function under successive reigns, including that of Alexandru IV Iliaș. In 1629,
Leon Tomșa Leon Tomșa, also known as Leon Vodă ("Leon the Voivode") or Alion, was the Prince of Wallachia from October 1629 to July 1632. He claimed to be a son of Ștefan IX Tomșa, and as such a Moldavian, but was generally identified as a Greek of lowly ...
promoted him to ''Logothete'' of his privy council. Also that year, Năsturel published the first of his many Slavonic prefaces, for a
Nomocanon A nomocanon ( gr, Νομοκανών, ; from the Greek 'law' and 'a rule') is a collection of ecclesiastical law, consisting of the elements from both the civil law and the canon law. Nomocanons form part of the canon law of the Eastern Cathol ...
edition printed at Kiev.Nicolescu, p. 37 According to historian George Potra, he was the official translator for Prince Radu Iliaș when, in early 1632, Bucharest was visited by Paul Strassburg, diplomat of the
Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...
. From 1625, Năsturel had been married to Maria Corbeanu, of the
Corbi Corbi is a commune in Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Corbi, Corbșori, Jgheaburi, Poduri, Poenărei and Stănești. Corbi is located in the northern part of Argeș County: its neighbours are Nucșoara commune ...
boyars. He was also brother-in-law of another ''Logothete'', Radu Staico Popescu. At age 35, his other sister, Elena, became Wallachia's Princess-consort. As a teenager (most likely in 1613), she had married ''
Aga Aga or AGA may refer to: Business * Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA), a glazing contractor, established in 1970 * AGA (automobile), ''Autogen Gasaccumulator AG'', 1920s German car company *AGA AB, ''Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator'', a ...
'' Matei, later styled "Matei Basarab", who controlled an army of ''
Seimeni Seimeni (plural of ''Seimen'') designates the group of flintlock-armed infantry mercenaries charged with guarding the ''hospodar'' (ruler) and his court in 17th and 18th century Wallachia and Moldavia. They were mostly of Serb and other Balkan ...
'' mercenaries in Bucharest. In late 1632, at age 53, Matei defeated Radu Iliaș and took the throne for himself. Elena played a direct part in Wallachia's administration shortly after this—namely, during the interval when Matei negotiated his confirmation by Wallachia's suzerain power, the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Udriște's father, Radu, served as the country's treasurer ('' Vistier'') during the same hiatus.Stoicescu, p. 214 After Matei secured his throne in 1633, Elena turned to cultural endeavors, one of the principal sponsors and promoters of early
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. History The development of the Romanian literature took place in parallel with tha ...
. Udriște, a ''Logethete'' of the court in 1632, partook directly in her experiment. He is for instance credited with having helped the princely couple set up three printing presses, at
Câmpulung Câmpulung (also spelled ''Cîmpulung'', , german: Langenau, Old Romanian ''Dlăgopole'', ''Длъгополе'' (from Middle Bulgarian)), or ''Câmpulung Muscel'', is a municipality in the Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania. It is situated amon ...
,
Dealu Monastery Dealu Monastery is a 15th-century monastery in Dâmbovița County, Romania, located 6 km north of Târgoviște. The church of the monastery is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Necropolis Dealu Monastery narthex is considered one of the largest ...
, and
Băile Govora Băile Govora (or just Govora) is a Romanian spa town in Vâlcea County, about south-west of Râmnicu Vâlcea and west of the Olt river, in the historical region of Oltenia. Notable features of the town (beside its mineral springs, recommended ...
. As ''Logothete'', he directed the Chancellery, which issued some 1,300 documents during his tenure, all of them surviving. His correspondence attests links with intellectuals of various faiths: the Orthodox Gavrilo Rajić, Macarios Zaim,
Peter Mogila Metropolitan Petru Movilă ( ro, Petru Movilă, uk, Петро Симеонович Могила, translit=Petro Symeonovych Mohyla, russian: Пётр Симеонович Могила, translit=Pëtr Simeonovich Mogila, pl, Piotr Mohyła; ...
, and Meletios Sirigos; and the Catholic
Rafael Levaković Rafael Levaković (also Raphael Levacovich) O.F.M. ( – 1649) was a Franciscan prelate who served as Archbishop of Achrida (1647–1650);
, with whom he discussed the Nicene Creed. He also had oratorical duels with Constantin Cantacuzino, with bishops
Varlaam Moțoc Varlaam Moţoc () was the Metropolitan of Moldavia (1632-1653). He edited the Romanian Book of Learning in 1643. History In 1643, the Moldavian Prince Vasile Lupu sponsored the Books of Homilies translated by Metropolitan of Moldavia Varlaam ...
and Ștefan I, as well as with his sister the Princess. In 1635, Năsturel published a Slavonic ode to the Basarab family, included in the standardized prayer book, or ''Molitvenic''. These lyrics endure as the first Wallachian example of the genre called
blason Blason is a form of poetry. The term originally comes from the heraldic term "blazon" in French heraldry, which means either the blazon, codified description of a coat of arms or the coat of arms itself. The Dutch term is Blazoen, and in either Du ...
(''la stemă'') poetry. This became an incidental record for heraldists studying the
coat of arms of Wallachia A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...
, describing the bird as a raven rather than as a standard
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
. The detail may also indicate his familiarity with legends about
Radu Negru Radu may refer to: People * Radu (given name), Romanian masculine given name * Radu (surname), Romanian surname * Rulers of Wallachia, see * Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960), disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne Other uses * Radu ( ...
as the founder of Wallachia. According to
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
, the blason has the first known rhymes in
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. History The development of the Romanian literature took place in parallel with tha ...
, although the part-Wallachian
Nicolaus Olahus Nicolaus Olahus (Latin for ''Nicholas, the Vlach''; hu, Oláh Miklós; ro, Nicolae Valahul); 10 January 1493 – 15 January 1568) was the Archbishop of Esztergom, Primate of Hungary, and a distinguished Catholic prelate, humanist and historiog ...
is known to have been writing Latin poetry before 1510. The first lay poems in Romanian appeared some 40 years after Năsturel's piece, and were composed by a Saxon, Valentin Franck von Franckenstein.


Main work period

An "editor by excellence of prefaces to books", but one who "never signed his works", Năsturel is identified as the author of the foreword to Matei Basarab's standard legal code, '' Pravila de la Govora''. Here, he explains the effort to collect and translate relevant literature, deploring the "scarcity and shortage of such books". Scholars also regard him as the author of the preface to another legal code, the 1652 '' Îndreptarea Legii''. The latter text abounds in references to classical lawmakers, from
Lycurgus of Sparta Lycurgus (; grc-gre, Λυκοῦργος ; 820 BC) was the quasi-legendary lawgiver of Sparta who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society in accordance with the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. All his reforms promoted th ...
and
Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history o ...
to
Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renova ...
and
Leo the Wise Leo VI, called the Wise ( gr, Λέων ὁ Σοφός, Léōn ho Sophós, 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well r ...
.Theodorescu, p. 46 With his activity in the field, he aimed especially at countering the influence of
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
, publishing in 1642, and again in 1644, a propaganda booklet called ''The Learning Gospel''. Varlaam Moțoc reports that he collected Calvinist propaganda to document the spread of its "poison, which kills the soul". Although he was an Orthodox, scholars such as Virgil Cândea link Năsturel mainly with the Counter-Reformation and a religious subset of
Renaissance humanism Renaissance humanism was a revival in the study of classical antiquity, at first in Italy and then spreading across Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. During the period, the term ''humanist'' ( it, umanista) referred to teache ...
.Nicolescu, p. 38 Cândea argued against other authors who described Năsturel as an actual humanist, noting that he was a mere precursor to the belated surfacing of a Wallachian humanism later that century. This critique was also embraced by literary historian Eugen Negrici, who argues that the ''Logothete'' was only a humanist in the sense that he had an intellectual life, which, though "extremely rare in that era", never implied complex scholarship. As rated by Negrici, Năsturel never was a "paradigmatic figure of European humanism." Cultural historian
Răzvan Theodorescu Emil Răzvan Theodorescu (born May 22, 1939) is a Romanian historian and politician. He has researched and written extensively on art history in particular. A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Senate for ...
also discusses Năsturel as one of the Catholic-leaning boyars at Matei Basarab's court, placing him in relation with Paisios Ligarides, who wanted to bridge the Great Schism. As argued by Theodorescu, Năsturel's interest in Thomas à Kempis unwittingly linked him with the ideology of the Catholic Baroque, which was also based on the ''Imitation''. According to historian
Petre P. Panaitescu Petre P. Panaitescu (March 11, 1900 – November 14, 1967) was a Romanian literary historian. A native of Iași, he spent most of his adult life in the national capital Bucharest, where he rose to become a professor at its main university. A ...
, Năsturel should be regarded as illustrative for the last "thriving stage" of Slavonic writing in Wallachia, or what Theodorescu describes as the "consolidation of cultural Slavonism". Over time, he specialized in the authorship of rhyming prefaces in Slavonic, which endure as "classical landmarks of that cultural moment." The first one of these was published in 1643, at Câmpulung, for a yearbook of
sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
s. It was a contribution to Matei's genealogical legend, insisting on his kinship with
Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; c.1459 – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craioveşti (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Cr ...
and describing his as a "good reign" of "great charity". He followed up with a version of ''The Imitation of Christ'', printed in 1647 and also containing a lyrical preface. Gane argues that Princess Elena co-wrote some of the text,Gane, p. 239 which is modeled on the Russian
recension Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author. The term is derived from Latin ''recensio'' ("review, analysis"). In textual criticism (as ...
of Church Slavonic. The final edition, put out at Dealu, was decorated with the Năsturels' coat of arms. Its
crest Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
included a red tower, possibly borrowed from the Transylvanian arms. The latter preface is noted for its musings on the origin of the Romanian vernacular, with Năsturel recognizing it as a "relative of Latin".Tănăsescu, p. 184 However, as Negrici notes, his very retention of Slavonic showed that he was "hostile to the Romanian language".Negrici, p. 185 Historian and culture critic
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
also argued that, given a context in which very few could read Slavonic, translating ''The Imitation of Christ'' into that language was "pointless", an exercise in "pretentious erudition". All of Năsturel's Slavonic poetry, including " epigrams on Greek names" or those he dedicated to Elena, has lexical obscurities and intricate wordplay, leading various specialists to conclude that his was a local manifestation of Baroque literature. Ethnologist Costion Nicolescu describes it as "rhetorical, pompous and artificial", "addressing an elite of intellectuals and the Chancellery". According to Theodorescu, Năsturel was a "man of wide-ranging culture", but did not read all of the authors he cited. His verse is "pedantic", its use of Slavonic "already anachronistic"; the main function is to "direct" and feed a "courtly culture", which is on par with other European manifestations. Iorga contends that, overall, Năsturel lacked literary skill and originality, being inferior to his Moldavian counterpart,
Grigore Ureche Grigore Ureche (; 1590–1647) was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his ''Letopisețul Țării Moldovei'' ('' Chronicles of the Land of Moldavia''), covering the period from 1359 to 1594. Biography Grigore Ureche was th ...
. In addition to his Slavonic writing, the ''Logothete'' also used Romanian in translation work, known to include an acclaimed version of the novel ''
Barlaam and Josaphat Barlaam and Josaphat, also known as Bilawhar and Budhasaf, are legendary Christian saints. Their life story was based on the life of the Gautama Buddha, and tells of the conversion of Josaphat to Christianity. According to the legend, an Indian ...
''. However, it survives only through reprints from the 1670s and later. Scholar Maria Stanciu Istrate, who studied these versions, argues that they suggest an adaptation of Latin rhetoric to the developing literary language, taking many liberties from the strictures of the Russo-Slavonic copies he was using. The result, she finds, was artificial and "
mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...
", without a viable representation in the spoken language, but nonetheless a landmark text. Critic Marius Chivu finds the translation to be both loose and "flawless", rewritten with an "amazing clarity" despite the weight of its subject matter. Marius Chivu
"Legendă și adevăr"
in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared o ...
'', Nr. 10/2002
Panaitescu sees Năsturel as potentially responsible for the effort to collect fragmentary historiographic texts and arrange them into an ideologically coherent whole. This effort, Panaitescu argues, eventually produced part of the compilation known as '' Letopisețul Cantacuzinesc''. Năsturel's blason poem was also republished in the Romanian in 1643, then republished in 1644. He may have written various other poems in the vernacular, but they appear lost. One scholarly theory proposes that the ''Logothete'' also contributed the first Romanian version of
Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; c.1459 – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craioveşti (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Cr ...
's political manual, or ''Teachings'', and a hagiography of
Niphon of Kafsokalyvia Niphon of Kafsokalyvia or Niphon Kausokalybites ( el, Όσιος Νήφων Καυσοκαλυβίτης, 1316–1411) was a Greeks, Greek Christian Orthodox saint and monk. He is celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on June 14 (Eastern Orthod ...
. Philologist Sextil Pușcariu attributes him a second hagiographic translation, which tells the story of Great Martyr Catherine. Iorga and Boris Unbegaun also credit Năsturel as the translator of a Russian account of the fall of Constantinople.


Peak influence

His father and his brother Șerban were no probably no longer alive by the time of his ascendancy; Cazan, who was still active, never joined the Boyar Council, and only held the rank of Bucharest ''
ispravnic An ''ispravnic'' or ''ispravnik'' was, in the Danubian principalities, the title owned by a clerk or a boyar in charge of law enforcement in a certain county. Initially, during the middle ages, ''ispravnics'' were people who used to carry out the ...
''. Năsturel and Maria's first son, Mateiaș, was born in 1635; some two weeks later, Maria died, leaving the child to be adopted by his godparents, Prince Matei and Princess Elena. He was groomed by the couple as Wallachia's heir-presumptive. Udriște later remarried, to a Despa, with whom he had another son, Radu Toma, and a daughter, Măricuța. He educated his second son at home, arranging him to be tutored in Latin by a scholar Teodor of Kiev. Radu Toma was also an early scribe for his manuscript of ''Barlaam and Josaphat''. Throughout most of his career, Năsturel probably resided in the old capital,
Târgoviște Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River. Târgoviște was one of the ...
, leaving on diplomatic missions to the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...
and the Habsburg monarchy (1638), then more regularly to the Principality of Transylvania (1648/9, 1652, 1655). Târgoviște hosted his own lyceum, the ''Schola Graeca et Latina'', staffed by Kievan expatriates; in parallel, Năsturel himself taught at the Slavonic School, which existed in the same city. This educational effort combined his focus on upholding the Latin origin of the Romanians, but also their commitment to Orthodoxy. By 1645, the ''Logothete''s summer home in Herăști had been rebuilt as a three-story palatial residence. According to Gane, the process was already complete during Radu Năsturel, but other sources suggest that the construction was by Udriște and Cazan. According to Theodorescu, it shows Udriște as an innovator in the field of architecture, going beyond the stylistic guidelines endorsed by Matei Basarab, and contrasting the conservative tastes of Moldavian boyars. He rates it as the "most interesting monument of its day", a late sample of
Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
with Oriental elements. Herăști was held by scholar
Pavel Chihaia Pavel Chihaia (; 23 April 1922, Corabia – 18 June 2019, Munich) was a Romanian novelist. His first novel, ''Blocada'' ("The Blockade"), was published in 1947, shortly before the advent of his country's Communist regime. An opponent thereof, he ...
as evidence that Matei Basarab's Wallachia, as part of its "second Renaissance", had something resembling
Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...
. It had a "fairly large library", which reportedly contained the works of
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
and
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...
, as well as
Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme Kydathenaion ( la, Cydathenaeum), was a comic playwright or comedy-writer of ancient Athens and a poet of Old Attic Comedy. Eleven of his for ...
,
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
, Diogenes Laërtius, Epicurus, Strabo, Suetonius, and Lucian. The Herăști building impressed a foreign traveler,
Paul of Aleppo Paul Za'im, known sometime also as Paul of Aleppo (Paul, Archdeacon of Aleppo) (1627–1669) was an Ottoman Syrian Orthodox clergyman and chronicler. Son of Patriarch Macarius III Ibn al-Za'im, Paul accompanied his father in his travels through ...
, who claimed that no other such home existed in the Danubian Principalities, and nowhere in Europe except the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
. Paul was also perplexed that the monument was built so close to the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, in an exposed location on the
Wallachian Plain The Romanian Plain ( ro, Câmpia Română) is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia, where it is known as the Wallachian Plain ( sr, Vlaška nizija/Влашка низија). Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it ...
, which could allow it to be ransacked by Ottoman invaders. It is however known that Năsturel kept a second such home, in Transylvania, alongside his lesser residences in Târgoviște and Bucharest. He and Elena co-funded the church in Herăști, with Udriște alone being the ''
ktitor ''Ktetor'' ( el, κτήτωρ) or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ''kt’it’ori''; ro, ctitor), meaning "founder", is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox ch ...
'' of Târgului Church in Târgoviște. The former building was partly designed by a Mamant Barbulov, possibly a naturalized
Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
, who may have added the Oriental brickwork to the nearby palace. Năsturel is also listed as a ''ktitor'' of Sfânta Vineri Herasca in Bucharest, which was located close to his townhouse. In fact, he and Elena supported financially rather than built the latter. Maria Apostol
"25 de ani la demolarea Bisericii Sfânta Vineri"
in ''Historia'', June 2012


Downfall and assassination

His last known published work was another preface for a sermon anthology, which came out in 1649. It is addressed to the monks of Mount Athos, containing Năsturel's ideas "on generosity". The text is rated by Nicolescu as a "small treatise", while Negrici argues that it is not at all worthy of that title, being "in fact a few pages long". Năsturel lost his first-born in 1652. Mateiaș died in the princely home, after having freed the peasants and slaves living on all his personal properties. A letter by Prince Matei records the princely couple's "great distress". However, when he began searching for a new heir, he omitted Radu Toma and focused on Mihai, orphaned son of the former Prince
Nicolae Pătrașcu Nicolae Pătrașcu, Petrașco, or Petrașcu, also styled Nicolae Vo(i)evod ( Church Slavonic and Romanian Cyrillic: or ; ca. 1580 – late 1627), was the titular Prince of Wallachia, an only son of Michael the Brave and Lady Stanca, and a putativ ...
, then on Istratie Leurdeanu, and finally on
Diicul Buicescul Diicul or Dicul Buicescul, also known as Diicu Buicescu and Diicu din EpoteștiStoicescu, p. 130 (? – ca. July 1659), was a Wallachian statesman, noted as the designated heir of List of rulers of Wallachia, Prince Matei Basarab. A commoner on hi ...
. This period coincided with mounting political troubles, introduced after a war with Moldavia: victorious but wounded, Prince Matei faced a ''Seimeni'' rebellion stoked by the pretender
Constantin Șerban Constantin II Șerban (? – 1682) was Prince of Wallachia between 1654 and 1658, illegitimate son to Radu Şerban. According to custom, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince. Reign His rule saw the rebe ...
. Princess Elena died in August 1653, shortly after having helped avert a more serious crisis. She left her personal estate to her surviving godson. Năsturel authored Mateiaș's rhyming
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
. His last work in Romanian, it is seen by Theodorescu as "conventional and so very bland", largely an adaptation of Baroque dedications. Also according to Theodorescu, Năsturel brought into the country the sculptor Elias Nicolai, who carved the sarcophagus hosting Mateiaș's remains and the epitaph. The ''Logothete'' led a more obscure existence during the final stage of Matei Basarab's reign and beyond. The Prince died in early 1654, allowing Constantin Șerban to take the throne. Năsturel continued to serve as a diplomat and, in spring 1656, was sent on a state visit to Moldavia and the
Cossack Hetmanate The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
. As noted by historian Petronel Zahariuc, during his stay in Iași he may have helped draft the Slavonic writ whereby
Gheorghe Ștefan Gheorghe Ștefan (István Görgicze, seldom referred to as ''Burduja''; died 1668 in Szczecin) was Voivode (Prince) of Moldavia between 13 April and 8 May 1653, and again from 16 July 1653 to 13 March 1658; he was the son of boyar Dumitrașcu ...
reestablished the
Vasilian College The Vasilian College or Vasilian Academy ( ro, Academia Vasiliană) was an institution of higher learning in Iași, the Principality of Moldavia, founded by Prince Vasile Lupu in 1640. Established in the capital of Moldavia as a "higher school for ...
; its linguistic intricacies have long presented a challenge for Romanian translators. There followed new uprisings against the perceived usurper Constantin Șerban. Among his opponents was Năsturel's cousin, Hrizea (or Hrizică) of Bogdănei, who proclaimed himself Prince and, after a series of battles, was captured and executed in September 1657. Dates proposed for Năsturel's own death range from 1657 to 1659. In his last years, he had been replaced as ''Logothete'' and was an acting ''
Spatharios The ''spatharii'' or ''spatharioi'' (singular: la, spatharius; el, σπαθάριος, literally " spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely ...
'' of the
Wallachian military forces Wallachians could mean: * Vlachs, Eastern Romance-speaking peoples of southeastern Europe * Inhabitants of Wallachia, a region of Romania * Inhabitants of Moravian Wallachia Moravian Wallachia ( cs, Moravské Valašsko, or simply ''Valašsko''; ...
. Various chronicles note that Năsturel was murdered upon the advent of
Mihnea III Mihnea III Radu ( tr, Radu Gioan Bey; 1613 – 5 April 1660), was a Prince of Moldavia, and ruler of Wallachia from March 1658 to November 1659. His father was alleged to have been the Voivode Radu Mihnea. Family Ancestry claims Radu's ancestry ...
(1658–1659), after originally serving him. According to an 18th-century overview by Constantin Filipescu, Mihnea plotted an anti-Ottoman uprising, and for this purpose staged a "godless" purge of the unruly boyars. Udriște and various of his Council peers were kidnapped at
Curtea Veche Curtea Veche (the Old Princely Court) was built as a palace or residence during the rule of Vlad III Dracula in 1459. Archaeological excavations started in 1953, and now the site is operated by the ''Muzeul Municipiului București'' in the histor ...
, strangled, and thrown out the window into the street below; their bodies were trampled upon by the princely infantry. The Saxon notary Georg Krauss provides additional details "from reliable sources", namely that the murdered boyars had not approved of Mihnea's plans to align Wallachia with Transylvania in the anti-Ottoman alliance. Krauss claims that the male victims were only half-strangled, then left to wander the halls with no food, until they killed and ate each other; their boyaresses, meanwhile, were stripped down and tied together in sacks with feral cats, who mauled and ate them. A text included in ''Letopisețul Cantacuzinesc'' argues that the boyars were indeed strangled, but individually, as they left the staged feast to go out for walks (''la primblare'').Cazacu, p. 71 Constantin Rezachevici, who proposes, against other historians, that the event took place in July 1659, notes that the victims of this massacre also included Buicescul; the latter is also argued by historian Alexandru Ciorănescu. A defaced tombstone kept at the
National Museum of Romanian History The National History Museum of Romania ( ro, Muzeul Național de Istorie a României) is a museum located on the Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, Romania, which contains Romanian historical artifacts from prehistoric times up to modern times. The mus ...
, which shows the figure of a man dressed in 17th-century court attire, was identified by Iorga as belonging to Năsturel. It includes a fragmentary Slavonic dedication suggesting that the subject had died on a Wednesday, at two o'clock in the morning.


Legacy

Later generations held Năsturel in more esteem. According to Papazoglu, the street and area around his Bucharest home, near present-day's
Calea Victoriei CALEA may refer to: *Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, an act by the US Congress to facilitate wiretapping of U.S. domestic telephone and Internet traffic *Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a private accredit ...
, became known as ''Udricani'', in his memory. The family's cultural mission was carried on by Radu Toma, who, in 1669, founded the first Wallachian school to offer courses in both Romanian and Slavonic, and offered tuition to disadvantaged children. He also pursued a career in politics, obtaining the title of '' Ban'' on two separate occasions: 1674/5–1677, under
George Ducas Voivode George Ducas (Greek: ''Γεώργιος Δούκας'', Romanian: ''Gheorghe Duca'') (c. 1620 – 31 March 1685) was three times prince of Moldavia (September 1665 – May 1666, November 1668 – 20 August 1672, November 1678 – Januar ...
, and 1679/80–1687/88, under
Constantin Brâncoveanu Constantin Brâncoveanu (; 1654 – August 15, 1714) was Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714. Biography Ascension A descendant of the Craiovești boyar family and heir through his grandfather Preda of a considerable part of Matei Ba ...
. He was attested as a protector of the Catholic community, contributing to the reestablishment of the
Bucharest Bărăția Bărăția is one of the Roman Catholic churches in Bucharest, Romania. It is located in central Bucharest, on the I. C. Brătianu Boulevard, next to Piața Unirii. Name Its name, used in antiquated Romanian for several Catholic churches, is deriv ...
. His daughter Marica married ''Logothete'' Constantin III Cantacuzino, and then Prince Brâncoveanu's '' Sluger'', Grigorașcu Băleanu. Through his sister and the Popescu family, Udriște was an ancestor of Radu Popescu, who sided with the Băleanu family in their conflict with Brâncoveanu, and is credited as author of the ''Băleanu Chronicle''. Brâncoveanu's age ended shortly after the
Pruth River Campaign The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710—1711, also known as the Pruth River Campaign, was a brief military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The main battle took place during 18-22 July 1711 in the basin of the Pruth rive ...
of 1711, which was the first of several
Russo-Turkish Wars The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...
to involve Wallachia and Moldavia. In its wake, a number of Wallachian boyars chose emigration to Imperial Russia over the risk of facing Ottoman reprisals for their insubordination. They include one of Năsturel's descendants, Captain Udrea or Andrei Herescu. His grandson was the Russian poet and academic
Mikhail Kheraskov Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov (russian: Михаи́л Матве́евич Хера́сков; – ) was Russian poet and playwright. A leading figure of the Russian Enlightenment, Kheraskov was regarded as the most important Russian poet by C ...
. Theodorescu argues that Năsturel's contribution as a palace commissioner is enduring, being a direct precursor of experiments in the 18th-century Brâncovenesc style. His literary adaptation, the blason, remained a standard and '' forme fixe'' in Romanian poetry into the 19th century, even after Slavonic had been dropped. As noted by Negrici, this pattern was exceedingly conservative, characterized by "stereotypes and repetition". The Năsturel family, which continued to be associated with Udricani and Dobroteasa down to the 1840s, also used Udriște's coat of arms, although this practice was tolerated, rather than endorsed, by a succession of Wallachian Princes. In 1831, it transferred Herăști to
Miloš Obrenović Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name Sportsmen * Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower * Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer * Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...
, whose Serbian princely family later sold the domain to a Romanian politician,
Anastase Stolojan Anastase Stolojan (6 August 1836 – 25 July 1901) was a Wallachian-born Romanian politician. Born in Craiova, he descended from a family of small-scale '' boyars'' that came from Stolojani village in Gorj County. His father State was a '' ...
. Carmen Anghel
"Conacul Udriște Năsturel, pierdut pentru totdeauna"
in ''
Evenimentul Zilei ''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name means "today's even (news)". History and profile ''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nistorescu and Mihai Cârciog, and ...
'', April 28, 2015
The Năsturels developed another property, Năsturelu in
Teleorman County Teleorman County () is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in the historical region Muntenia, with its capital city at Alexandria. The name ''Teleorman'' is of Cumanic ( Turkic) origin. It literally means ''crazy forest'' ...
, which housed a
model farm A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational instit ...
and lands providing for the upkeep of Sfânta Vineri Herasca. Udriște's descendants in the
United Principalities The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia ( ro, Principatele Unite ale Moldovei și Țării Românești), commonly called United Principalities, was the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia, ...
included General Constantin Năsturel-Herescu (1796–1874), noted for his sponsorship of a
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...
award, which included a land donation in Năsturelu. According to Gane and Potra, he was the last of his family. In fact, this extinction refers to the family's male branch. In the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...
, other figures continued to claim descent from the scholar, including another general, Petre Vasiliu-Năsturel, who republished Udriște's ''Barlaam and Josaphat'' in
Ioan Bianu Ioan Bianu (1856 or 1857 – February 13, 1935) was an Imperial Austrian-born Romanian philologist and bibliographer. The son of a peasant family from Transylvania, he completed high school in Blaj, where he became a disciple of Timotei Cipariu a ...
's collection of early Romanian literature (1904). Vasiliu-Năsturel published works looking into the family's own genealogy and heraldry, which had also interested
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu ( 26 February 1838 – ) was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Life He was born Tadeu Hâjdeu in Cristineștii Hotinului (now Kerstentsi in Chernivtsi ...
, a pioneer in the field, in the 1860s. Also active in that period, N. I. Herescu was often assumed to be a relative of the Năsturels, but in fact had no known genealogical connection to them. During the late 1940s, a
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
in Romania
confiscated Confiscation (from the Latin ''confiscatio'' "to consign to the ''fiscus'', i.e. transfer to the treasury") is a legal form of seizure by a government or other public authority. The word is also used, popularly, of spoliation under legal forms, ...
, then
collectivized Collective farming and communal farming are various types of, "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member ...
, the family's land in Năsturelu, as well as the academy's plot there. The palace at Herăști, devastated by a fire in 1931, was also confiscated from the Stolojans. Eventually restored to its original state in the 1960s, it was later assigned to the Romanian Village Museum. In parallel, Udriște Năsturel's work was being reviewed by a new generation of scholars, including Dan Horia Mazilu, with his first-ever monograph, published in 1974. Of the landmarks associated with Udriște Năsturel, Sfânta Vineri Herasca did not survive the communist period: heavily damaged in the March 1977 earthquake, it was restored, but then swiftly demolished as part of the Ceaușima campaign. Following the
Romanian Revolution of 1989 The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, there was a revival of interest in Udriște Năsturel's work. A 2000 edition of his ''Barlaam and Josaphat'', overseen by Cândea, contributed to this trend. According to Chivu, it revised a period when the book had fallen into obscurity, following the discovery of its "striking similarities" with the hagiography of the
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. Herăști became property of the Romanian Peasant Museum in 1990, but in 2013 was returned to the Stolojans. Later descendants of the ''Logothete'' include Petre Ș. Năsturel (1923–2012), also a heraldist and art historian who lived in exile following the communist takeover. His "last public intervention", in June 2009, was dedicated to Udriște and his ecumenism.Benoît Gain, "Petre Ș. Năsturel în scrisori", in ''
Magazin Istoric ''Magazin Istoric'' ( en, The Historical Magazine) is a Romanian monthly magazine. Overview ''Magazin Istoric'' was started in 1967. The first issue appeared in April 1967. The headquarters is in Bucharest. The monthly magazine contains articles ...
'', March 2013, p. 21


See also

*
List of solved missing person cases Lists of solved missing person cases include: * List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000 * List of solved missing person cases: post-2000 See also * List of kidnappings * List of murder convictions without a body * List of people who di ...


Notes


References

*Ștefan Andreescu, "Mai mare n-a fost nici un domn", in ''
Magazin Istoric ''Magazin Istoric'' ( en, The Historical Magazine) is a Romanian monthly magazine. Overview ''Magazin Istoric'' was started in 1967. The first issue appeared in April 1967. The headquarters is in Bucharest. The monthly magazine contains articles ...
'', December 1969, pp. 26–32. *
Mihai Berza Mihai () is a Romanian given name for males or a surname. It is equivalent to the English name Michael. A variant of the name is Mihail. Its female form is Mihaela. As a given name * Mihai I of Romania (1921–2017), King of Romania until 1947 *Mi ...
, ''Pentru o istorie a vechii culturi românești''. Bucharest: Editura Eminescu, 1985. *
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini pînă în prezent''. Bucharest:
Editura Minerva Editura Minerva is one of the largest publishing houses in Romania. Located in Bucharest, it is known, among other things, for publishing classic Romanian literature Romanian literature () is literature written by Romanian authors, although the ...
, 1986. * Matei Cazacu, "Ospețe cu veselie sau... însângerate", in ''Magazin Istoric'', August 2020, pp. 71–75. *Dan Cernovodeanu, ''Știința și arta heraldică în România''. Bucharest: Editura științifică și enciclopedică, 1977. *Steluța Chefani-Pătrașcu, ''Moșieri teleormăneni (1864–1949). Mărire și decădere (Publicațiile Muzeului Județean Teleorman, VI)''. Bucharest: Renaissance, 2011. *N. A. Constantinescu, ''Dicționar onomastic romînesc''. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 1963. *Constantin Căpitanul Filipescu, ''Istoriile domnilor Țării-Românești cuprinzînd istoria munteană de la început până la 1688''. Bucharest: I. V. Socecu, 1902. *
Constantin Gane Constantin Gane (March 27, 1885 – April or May 1962) was a Romanian novelist, amateur historian, biographer and memoirist. Born into the Boyars of Wallachia and Moldavia, boyar aristocracy of Western Moldavia, he worked as a lawyer in Bucharest, ...
, ''Trecute vieți de doamne și domnițe. Vol. I''. Bucharest: Luceafărul S. A.,
932 Year 932 ( CMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Alberic II leads an uprising at Rome against his stepfather Hugh of Provence ...
*
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
, "Mormântul lui Udriște Năsturel?", in ''Buletinul Comisiunii Monumentelor Istorice'', Vol. XXII, Issue 59, January–March 1929, pp. 113–115. * Eugen Negrici, ''Iluziile literaturii române''. Bucharest:
Cartea Românească Cartea Românească ("The Romanian Book") is a publishing house in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1919. Disestablished by the Communist Romania, communist regime in 1948, it was restored under later communism, in 1970, when it functioned as the off ...
, 2008. *Costion Nicolescu, "Udriște Năsturel – Nobleman", in ''Martor. The Museum of the Romanian Peasant Anthropology Review'', Vol. 12, 2007, pp. 35–40. *
Petre P. Panaitescu Petre P. Panaitescu (March 11, 1900 – November 14, 1967) was a Romanian literary historian. A native of Iași, he spent most of his adult life in the national capital Bucharest, where he rose to become a professor at its main university. A ...
, "Începuturile istoriografiei în Țara Romînească", in ''Studii și Materiale de Istorie Medie'', Vol. V, 1962, pp. 195–255. * Dimitrie Papazoglu (contributor: Viorel Gh. Speteanu), ''Istoria fondării orașului București. Istoria începutului orașului București. Călăuza sau conducătorul Bucureștiului''. Bucharest: Fundația Culturală Gheorghe Marin Speteanu, 2000. *George Potra, ''Din Bucureștii de ieri'', Vol. I. Bucharest: Editura științifică și enciclopedică, 1990. *Constantin Rezachevici, "Fenomene de criză social-politică în Țara Românească în veacul al XVII-lea (Partea a II-a: a doua jumătate a secolului al XVII-lea)", in ''Studii și Materiale de Istorie Medie'', Vol. XIV, 1996, pp. 85–117. *Maria Stanciu Istrate, "Un umanist român în căutarea literarității: Udriște Năsturel", in ''Revista Limba Română'', Vol. LX, Issue 1, 2011, pp. 86–94. *N. Stoicescu, ''Dicționar al marilor dregători din Țara Românească și Moldova. Sec. XIV–XVII''. Bucharest: Editura enciclopedică, 1971. *Manuela Tănăsescu, "Năsturel Udriște", in Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', Vol. II, pp. 183–184. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. *
Răzvan Theodorescu Emil Răzvan Theodorescu (born May 22, 1939) is a Romanian historian and politician. He has researched and written extensively on art history in particular. A member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Senate for ...
, ''Civilizația românilor între medieval și modern. Orizontul imaginii (1550–1800)'', Vol. II. Bucharest: Editura Meridiane, 1987. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nasturel, Udriste 1590s births 1650s deaths House of Basarab Logothetes of Wallachia Spatharii of Wallachia 17th-century politicians Early Modern Romanian writers Baroque writers Renaissance humanists Romanian humanists Romanian classical scholars Scribes 17th-century poets Romanian male poets Romanian epigrammatists Old Church Slavonic literature Romanian-language poets Romanian essayists Male essayists 17th-century biographers Romanian biographers Male biographers Christian hagiographers 17th-century publishers (people) Romanian book publishers (people) Romanian propagandists 17th-century philanthropists Romanian patrons of the arts Baroque architecture in Romania 17th-century translators Romanian translators Translators to Romanian Translators from Old Church Slavonic 17th-century Christian theologians Eastern Orthodox theologians Romanian theologians Counter-Reformation Catholic–Eastern Orthodox ecumenism People in Christian ecumenism 17th-century jurists Romanian jurists 17th-century diplomats Romanian diplomats 17th-century Romanian educators Romanian educational theorists People from Giurgiu County Eastern Orthodox Christians from Romania Wallachian slave owners Deaths by strangulation Kidnapped Romanian people Assassinated military personnel Assassinated nobility Assassinated Romanian politicians Executed writers History of Bucharest