The holy martyrs: Constantin Brancoveanu and his four sons
Issue 179 · 1997
This article traces the life and martyrdom of Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia from 1688 to 1714, and his four sons, canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1990. Belonging to the hagiographic and historical genre, the text presents Brâncoveanu's reign as a period of political stability, economic prosperity, and cultural influence, illustrated in particular by the founding of the Hurez Monastery and the emergence of the architectural style known as "Brâncovenian." The article sets out the political circumstances — Ottoman pressures and the intrigues of the Cantacuzinos — that led to the arrest and execution of the prince and his sons in Constantinople on 15 August 1714. It highlights their refusal of apostasy as an act of confession of faith, thereby constituting the central theological contribution: the martyrological dimension of princely figures now inscribed in the Romanian Orthodox liturgical calendar.
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