Matei Basarab, son of the vornic Danciu of Brâncoveni, was anointed Prince of Wallachia 385 years ago, when divine providence brought to the throne of the Basarabs the most capable, wise and devout voivode to the Basarab throne, who was to rule the country for twenty-two years, a protector of Romanian culture and language, and a great supporter of the Church. A descendant of the Craiovești boyars, “the grandson of the late Voivode Io Băsărabă” Neagoe Basarab and heir to the throne of Radu Ilieș, Matei Basarab was a ‘true shepherd and fatherly ruler’, as the historian Nicolae Iorga described him 1.
Matei Basarab was known even during his lifetime for his piety. A French author noted in 1689: ‘Matei Basarab was a prince zealous for the Christian faith and much loved by his subjects’ (Matei Basarab chrétienne et fort aimé de ses sujets). Pope Innocent X (1644–1655) himself praised this worthy Romanian ruler on 16 May 1647 for his ‘wonderful kindness of heart’ (spectata nobis non semel mirifica nobilitatis tuae humanitas)2. Patriarch Macarius of Antioch has nothing but words of praise for the Wallachian ruler: ‘This Matei Bey knew how to govern his realm with the finest leadership […]. He was bold in war, happy and proud, and any enemy who waged war against him returned defeated and destroyed. He had a very good reputation and was feared by everyone. News of him spread far and wide.” The chronicles of the time stated that “The country loved its Prince, and the Prince loved the country.” An anonymous author inscribed the following words on a brick from Târgoviște: ‘[…] there has never been a better prince than Mateiiu Vodă’3
The chronicles also recount the prince’s life—a fact known to the whole nation—that he was a man of pure heart, who accomplished marvellous deeds both in life and during his reign. He was married only once in his life, to Elina Doamna, the sister of the great scholar Udriște Năsturel, who has gone down in history as the patroness of Romanian literature and the founder of holy places (Herăști-Giurgiu, Negoești-Șoldanu and Slătioarele in Ocnele Mari).
The Turks feared confronting Matei Basarab because they saw him as a second Mihai Vodă the Brave; for this reason, they often sought to capture and kill him, but, with God’s help, Matei Basarab escaped every time. From the moment he ascended the throne, the Moldavian prince had planned to launch a ‘late crusade’ alongside the Habsburgs, Transylvanians and Poles, but his plan was thwarted by the Thirty Years’ War and, above all, by Vasile Lupu, the ruler of Moldavia, who was loyal to the Turks and waged wars to seize his country and throne. Although Vasile Lupu was his enemy throughout his life and tested him with many wars of conquest, even attempting to take his life, Matei Basarab forgave him every time and even believed in the peace agreements concluded with his neighbour, for such was his nature as a good Christian; he wished to sow the seeds of peace in order to reap the fruits of salvation.
Matei Basarab provided constant support to Transylvania, a fact acknowledged after his death by Ioan Köröspataki, who maintained that his passing represented a ‘great loss’ to his country, for ‘whilst he lived, he was like a border fortress, the Turks and Tatars could not easily attack us.”
His likeness, as depicted in the votive paintings at the monasteries of Arnota, Hurezi, Dintr-un Lemn, Govora, Mamu, Brebu, Brâncoveni and Strehaia, and from the miniatures engraved on the pages of the books he had printed, reveals his love for the Church through the serenity and kindness of his countenance, towards the values of the Christian family through the inclusion of Elinea Doamna amongst the founders, and towards his people through the sobriety that reveals his steadfastness and Christian responsibility.
From a deed of donation granted to Arnota Monastery in 1939, one can see the title held by the prince, as the anointed of God: ‘In Christ God, the faithful, the devout and the lover of Christ, and sole ruler, I, Matei Voivode, grandson of the great and most gracious, the elderly, the late Io Basarab Voivode, by the mercy of God and through the gift of God, ruler and lord of the whole Land of Ungrovlahia, and also of the regions beyond the mountains, Duke of Amlaș and Făgăraș, have, of my own free will, with a pure and enlightened heart, to glorify God, Who has glorified me and exalted me with honour to the holy throne of my departed ancestors4”.
Matei Basarab built more holy places of worship in Wallachia than any other prince. The historian Constantin C. Giurescu rightly called him ‘the greatest benefactor of our nation’5. The Syrian traveller Paul of Aleppo is convinced that the ruler built one hundred and fifty churches, taking into account, of course, the other foundations erected during that period by the clergy or the nobility 6. This figure may seem exaggerated, but most historians consider that the voivode built over thirty churches from the ground up, in addition to the restoration of many others, both within the country and on Mount Athos, south of the Danube, in Transylvania and Moldavia.
The contribution of the Matei era to the development of architecture in the mountainous region was recognised, first and foremost, by this overwhelming number of buildings constructed, a fact noted by many contemporaries, whether foreign travellers or men of letters; the chronicle of the country states that the prince “built many monasteries and churches”7; whilst the chronicler Radu Popescu recorded that ‘up to this prince, few walls had been built by the princes who came before: whereas Matei-Vodă embellished the country with all manner of buildings: monasteries, churches and princely residences’8.
The vast building programme of Matei Basarab’s era was not limited to the construction of new buildings, but also involved the repair or extension of existing ones, which had been damaged by the catastrophic earthquake of July 1628 or by neglect. At that time, “the whole country appeared as one vast building site, where all the old monuments were being given a new lease of life”9.
In the field of fortified architecture, in addition to some earth and timber fortifications built around urban settlements or monasteries, the Wallachian ruler implemented a judicious plan to defend the entire country, from the course of the River Olt to the Severin region and from the Danube to the foothills of the Carpathians. Through the covert transfer of military functions to the monastic complexes, these were designed and equipped with special defensive features that rendered them impregnable. This solution was imposed by the Ottoman authorities, who feared a rebellion in the country, such as the one organised and led only a few decades earlier by Mihai Viteazul, and thus prohibited the construction of fortified structures, such as, for example, fortresses. The monastic complexes of the period are also notable for the construction of princely residences within their grounds; in such cases, the entrance tower was designed to be much taller, with the undisguised aim of signifying the prince’s presence in this place and demonstrating his prestige to his subjects.
Residential architecture, in turn, underwent numerous innovations, such as the emergence of the loggia and the gazebo, in the boyar houses built within their courtyards in rural areas, where they held their extensive estates; and the building’s various functions were organised into distinct sections, such as those serving as family quarters, accommodation for distinguished guests, ceremonial spaces, and storage for valuable objects.
In the architecture of places of worship, the porch and the wall pierced by arches became widespread; in the former case, a new type of open porch, featuring an upper storey, was notable.
The art and architecture of Matei Basarab’s era represented a turning point in the development of Romanian culture during the Middle Ages, oscillating between tradition and innovation. Drawing with zeal and modesty upon the architectural repertoire established previously, the craftsmen of Matei Basarab’s era consistently sought to enrich the technical and artistic vocabulary with new and diverse construction techniques, as well as with forms of artistic expression that would play an essential role in the evolution of ancient Romanian civilisation.
Drawing with zeal and modesty upon the architectural repertoire established previously, the craftsmen of Matei Basarab’s era consistently sought to enrich the technical and artistic vocabulary with new and varied construction techniques, as well as with forms of artistic expression that would play an essential role in the evolution of ancient Romanian civilisation.
The fortified complex of Arnota Monastery, at Costești, is one of the earliest and most representative foundations of Prince Matei Basarab, who wished to establish his family’s necropolis here. The prince erected this sacred place of worship between 1633 and 1636 on the site of a 16th-century wooden church built by his father, Danciu. The legend of Arnota’s founding tells that the prince, who was being pursued by the Turks, is said to have taken refuge in these parts, and that an Arnout sacrificed his life so that the prince might escape unharmed. As a token of gratitude for the fulfilment of his prayer to God, the prince founded this holy monastic settlement.
Among Matei’s major foundations are the monasteries of Căldărușani, Sadova, Măxineni, Plătărești, Strehaia, Plumbuita, Brâncoveni, Cornățel, Negoești and Brebu, and the hermitages of Bărbătești and Pinul, as well as parish churches such as: Sărindar and the Holy Apostles in Bucharest, Saint Dumitru in Craiova, the ‘Holy Emperors’ and ‘Saint Nicholas’ Andronești in Târgoviște, ‘The Holy Apostles’ in Ploiești, ‘Saint Procopius’ in Gherghița-Prahova, ‘Saint George’ in Pitești; ‘The Entry into the Church’ in Caracal, Drăgănești-Teleorman, Pârșcovani and Dobrotești-Olt, ‘The Dormition of the Mother of God’ or ‘Negru Vodă’ in Câmpulung, etc.
In 1639, Matei Basarab took the initiative to ban the worship of Athos in certain major monasteries, some of which he himself had founded, and which, owing to their vast estates and revenues, played a significant role in the economy of the time. The ban covered 22 monasteries, starting with the oldest and most important: Govora, Arnota, Bistrița, Tismana, Cozia, Curtea de Argeș and others.
Matei Basarab rebuilt Brâncoveni Monastery; however, from this period, only the bell tower, the abbot’s quarters and part of the enclosure wall remain, whilst the original settlement dated from the 16th century. From the notes of the Catholic missionary Petru Bogdan Bakšić, we learn that in 1640, Matei Basarab “fortified it like a citadel and, above the gate, [built] a strong tower”. On 27 November 1640, the Prince of Wallachia mentioned Brâncoveni Monastery amongst those he had built ‘from the ground up’.
Maxineni Monastery was listed by Matei Basarab, in the solemn charter of 27 November 1640, amongst his great foundations.
The place of worship, and subsequently the village of Plătărești—which took its name from Archimandrite Plastara, the monastery’s first abbot, who was of Greek origin—was built that year, shortly after the victory at Nenișori. Plătărești Monastery was mentioned in the same document, dated 27 November 1640, amongst the monasteries he had built from the ground up. Also featured in this charter is the former Brebu Monastery, in the village of Brebu Mănăstirei (formerly known as Malu Lupului), in the commune of Brebu-Prahova, which is recorded as having been built from the ground up by Matei Basarab.
In the same charter, Matei Basarab states that he built the Dintr-un Lemn Monastery ‘anew from the foundations’ and established its status as a monastery not dedicated to the Holy Places, alongside his other foundations at Arnota, Câmpulung, Brâncoveni and Căldărușani.
Coșoteni Monastery, formerly known as Țigănia-Drăgănești Monastery, in the commune of Vedea-Teleorman, near Alexandria, underwent extensive restoration work in the year 1640.
After this year, the prince began the reconstruction of the Church of the ‘Entrance of the Mother of God into the Church’ and the princely court at Caracal, which appear to have dated from the 16th century.
During the reign of Matei Basarab, and on his initiative, a comprehensive defensive system for the country was completed. As part of this project, the princely courts previously built in Bucharest, Târgoviște, Câmpulung and Caracal were rebuilt or reinforced with defensive walls; Târgoviște, the permanent seat of government and capital from 1640 onwards, was then fortified with a defences consisting of a moat and an earthen rampart with a palisade, andnumerous monastic fortresses were either built anew or rebuilt from the ground up, situated according to a well-thought-out plan in dominant strategic positions, to facilitate the defence of the country in the most vulnerable directions. It was also during this period that the old princely residences were rebuilt.
Sadova Monastery was mentioned on 2 November 1640, when it is said that the prince had rebuilt it ‘from scratch, laying the foundations of this holy Sadova Monastery, which had previously been built of wood […] by my honourable and late ancestor, Lord Barbu’10’, just like other monastic settlements built during the early part of his reign. In the charter dated 8 December 1640, Sadova Monastery appears once more, mentioned by the voivode amongst those founded by him and his ancestors: “we have built them from the ground up and have taken care of them […] of the monasteries, both those built by ourselves and those [built] by our ancestors, forefathers and grandfathers’11”.
Matei Vodă also built churches beyond the borders of his state, in Moldavia (Soveja or ‘Dobromira’, Slavonic translation: ‘good peace’) and in Transylvania (the church at Porcești – Turnu Roșu, Sibiu). We find him as a founder south of the Danube, in Bulgaria: ‘The Holy Apostles’ in Svishtov; ‘Saint Paraskevi’ and ‘Saint Panteleimon’ in Vidin, as well as on Mount Athos, where he surpassed his great-grandfather, Neagoe Basarab. With his own funds, many churches were rebuilt or repainted, and he endowed them with precious gifts, such as the Church of ‘Saint Michael of Sinada’ at the Great Lavra, where the votive painting of the prince and Lady Elina is kept. He also rebuilt the great church at Xenofon, the katholikon and the narthex at Dionisu, and renovated the refectory at Hilandar, the Great Lavra, Simonopetra, Cutlumuz (restoration of the frescoes), Pantocrator and Rusikon12
Matei Basarab, ‘ruler and steward of the whole land of Ungrovlahia’, and ‘his pious wife, Lady Elena’, donated to the Holy Monastery of Hilandar a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God, set in silver and sumptuously adorned, created by Longhin Korenić, Metropolitan of Ienopole 13. Of a total of 116 donations by Matei Basarab, confirmed by documentary evidence, 14 were given to churches and monasteries.
Prince Matei Basarab was a diligent supporter of culture and the Church. Together with his relative, Udriște Năsturel, he established the two printing presses at the monasteries of Câmpulung and Govora and introduced the Romanian language into religious services, for, as the prince wrote: ‘I have seen that throughout my country there is hunger and thirst, not for bread and water, but because of the scarcity of holy books’. ‘The books published under Matei Basarab are to Romanians what Luther’s Bible was to the Germanic peoples,’ said Mihai Eminescu.
The first book printed by order of the prince, in Câmpulung, was a liturgical manual from 1635, Teachings for Every Day (Câmpulung, 1642), Mystirio or Sacrament (Târgoviște, 1651) and Târnosania (Târgoviște, 1652).
The prince established the second known printing press in Wallachia at Govora Monastery (1637) and founded the first school for printers there, endowing it with an income of one thousand galbeni, to cover the running costs of the school, the printing press and the printed works, as well as the teachers’ salaries (August 1636). Between 1637 and 1644, five books of exceptional content and design were printed here – in Church Slavonic or Romanian. The Slavonic Psalter, the Gospel of Instruction, but above all the first work printed in Romanian, the Church Rule, also known as the ‘Little Rule’ or the ‘Rule of Govora’ (1640), translated into Romanian from Church Slavonic by the no less famous Mihail Moxa(lie) of the Holy Monastery of Bistrița 15.
The Mateian era was one of peak cultural development and the establishment of an artistic academy, without which the ‘Brâncoveanu boom’ would not have been possible. The Prince was a true Maecenas, a patron of culture and a supporter of Orthodoxy, campaigning for the unaltered preservation of the Orthodox tradition.
The Govora Rule was printed in seven months, under the supervision of Meletie Macedoneanul, ‘who had lived amidst the spiritual atmosphere of the Zograful Monastery on Mount Athos’ and who ‘had learnt the art of printing in the monasteries of Petru Movilă’ and of Stephen of Ohrid (16). The verses on the coat of arms of Wallachia, with which the book opens, were composed by the renowned scholar of the era, Udriște (Uriilă) Năsturel – the brother-in-law of Prince Matei Basarab, a section of the ‘Preface’ compiled by Meletius the Macedonian, and the final page, written by the hieromonk Stephen of Ohrid – one of those who toiled over the printing of the book, were composed in Church Slavonic – late manifestations of Slavonic influence in Wallachia, prior to its definitive disappearance.
The book is a collection of laws – the first book of laws in the Romanian language, ‘a compendium of laws, the decrees of the holy apostles, enacted by the Seven Councils, along with those of the most pious fathers, the teachers of the world. Printed in the printing press of the most enlightened Lord Io Matthei Basarab, Voivode of the whole Land of Ungrovlahia: at Govora Monastery in the year 7148, and in the year of our Lord 1640. Govora: [Meletius the Macedonian] [Stephen of Ohrid], 1640).’ – concerning both the clerical and the lay spheres.
The Pravila was compiled at the request of Theophilus, Metropolitan of Wallachia, in agreement and consultation with Gennadius, Metropolitan of Transylvania. For this reason, two editions were produced: one for Wallachia, the other for Transylvania. The text is the same; only the prefaces bear the separate signatures of the two metropolitans. In his Preface, the metropolitan states that the Pravila “is a collection of canonical and civil laws, compiled from a Slavonic translation of a monocanon of Byzantine origin”17).
The purpose of printing this book is a noble one: ‘I considered that almost all languages have books in their own tongue. With this in mind, I too, the servant of my Lord I[s]u[s] C[hr]i[st], resolved to publish this book—namely, the Pravila in the Romanian language—for your Holinesses, Romanian spiritual brothers, who are shepherds of the speaking sheep of Christ’s flock, which contains within itself many kinds of healing for Christian souls—those wounded by sin—but, above all, the way to the Kingdom of Heaven’18”.
In 1652, a second collection of canons, entitled Îndreptarea legii (The Rectification of the Law), was published in Târgoviște. As this was produced with the approval of the competent ecclesiastical authorities, it became the official body of law of the Romanian Eastern Orthodox Church, being applied in the social life of the time 19.
We learn of the existence of the first paper mill in Wallachia from the preface, written in Church Slavonic by Udriște Năsturel, to the Antologhion printed at Câmpulung Muscel in 1643. The author praises the prince’s initiative in establishing the ‘paper-making mill’. This first ‘factory’ in Wallachia was situated on the mill pond, next to the Church of St George, located in Râmnic’s market square. The coat of arms of Wallachia appears as a watermark on the paper manufactured here. As is well known, the factory was in operation before 1642. The paper produced was to be used both by the printing press at Govora Monastery and by other printing centres across the country.
Strong condemnations of those who were ruining the country appear in Matei Basarab’s charters from 1639 and 1640; the latter made it known to both the clergy and the laity that Greek metropolitans and princes ‘had begun to squander and sell off the holy monasteries’ and the princely monasteries, subjecting them as ‘monasteries paying tribute to other monasteries in Greece and at Sfetagora, without the consent of the synod’. For this reason, the voivode decreed that twelve ancient foundations—Tismana, Argeș, Brădet and others—“should be left in peace by foreign monks”, whilst six others, such as Cozia, Bistrița, Govora and so on, were never to be sold, and a further ten monasteries rebuilt or founded by the prince, including Brâncoveni, Sadova, Câmpulung and so on.
Stricken by “an incurable illness”, being “weak and in the throes of advanced old age”, Matei Basarab passed away, at the age of 66, on the morning of 9 April 1654, ‘seated in the princely armchair, in his usual favourite spot, beneath the clear sky’ (a contemporary chronicler), at ‘the beginning of a spring as serene as his own mind’, as Nicolae Iorga put it. The body of the worthy voivode rests in the narthex of Arnotea, the proudest and dearest to his heart of all his foundations. Pilgrims who come here can admire the white marble tombstone, masterfully crafted by Elias Nicolai, a craftsman from Sibiu, who engraved the country’s coat of arms featuring the eagle bearing the cross in its beak, trophies and weapons, the sun and the moon, and the inscribed text which states that there, in the monastic tranquillity of the mountain, ‘the greatest founder of our nation’ has rested for centuries. The tombstone bears the inscription: ‘Here lies Matei Basarab, by the grace of God, once ruler and lord of Wallachia, a wise, compassionate and merciful man, founder and restorer of many churches and monasteries, never defeated but always victorious, and most glorified for his many triumphs, a terror to his enemies, a help to his friends, enricher of his country, he who, possessing great wealth and being well-provided for in all things, reigned in peaceful tranquillity for twenty-three years [sic!]; he fell asleep in the Lord in honourable old age, in the year of our Lord 165420”.
The high-ranking hierarchs, chosen to shepherd the country – Grigorie, Teofil, Ștefan and Ignatie – contributed greatly to the spiritual uplift of the people, to the spread of the Romanian language within the Church and to the flourishing of printing. Ștefan, the bishop and later metropolitan of the country, was the first hierarch to recite the Creed in church in the sweet Romanian tongue. It was he who guided the publishing work, but above all the ‘Romanianisation’ of church services; at his instigation and expense, three books containing liturgical guidelines were printed in Târgoviște in Romanian, whilst retaining the text of the services in Church Slavonic: Pogribania for lay priests and deacons (1650), Mistirio or Sacrament (1651) and Târnosania (1652). Metropolitan Ștefan left us, in manuscript form, a Slavonic-Greek-Romanian Hierarchical Service Book (Liturgy Book), illustrated with miniatures. He also initiated the Holy Register of the Metropolis of Ungrovlahia, containing all the ordinations of bishops, which continues to this day. He founded the churches in Vâlcea County at Râmești-Horezu and Grămești-Pietreni.
At the time of Matei Basarab’s accession to the throne of Wallachia, priests shared the same fate as ordinary people. Moreover, they were forced to pay certain taxes. The ruler wished to improve their living conditions, as is evident from the charter of 1634, in which he decrees that priests ‘shall have no other concern but to guard the holy churches with their services and the prince’s laws, day and night’.
Matei Basarab’s reign was one of great religious fervour. Documentary sources show that between 1633 and 1650, a total of 110 men and 30 women embraced monastic life. They were entitled to retain the right to own and bequeath their personal property (estates, vineyards, orchards, Gypsies, etc.).
There are countless accounts, both by foreign travellers and Romanian chroniclers, describing the ceremonies in which Matei Basarab took part on the occasion of all the religious festivals throughout the year. The ruler was in the habit, after the religious service, of pardoning certain sentences imposed on convicts or of reducing the severity of others, and of performing acts of charity for the needy.
During the reign of this worthy ruler, the church became not only a meeting place for clergy from the East, but also a venue for theological debates, such as those held in Târgoviște between Metropolitan Ștefan and the Greeks Paisie Ligaridis, Vlasie and Meletie Sirigul. These dogmatic dialogues spread from the hierarchs to the learned boyars of the Princely Divan. During the reign of Matei Basarab, Wallachia and the Church became a powerful cultural centre of Orthodoxy because priests and monks from the lands south of the Danube came here, as well as Greek scholars, especially those accused of leaning towards the Latin language or ‘Calvinist heresy’.
The Mateian era was one of peak cultural development and the establishment of an artistic academy, without which the ‘Brâncoveanu boom’ would not have been possible. The Prince was a true Maecenas, a patron of culture and a supporter of Orthodoxy, campaigning for the unaltered preservation of the Orthodox tradition. All these qualities of his character would contribute to the sovereign’s recognition as the greatest benefactor of the Romanian people in the medieval era, a true patron of the Church. He built over 40 churches from the ground up, in addition to restoring many others, both within the country and on Mount Athos, in Transylvania, Moldavia, and also south of the Danube.
During the reign of Matei Basarab, the Church in Wallachia reached heights never before seen, and the clergy felt the benevolent influence of the orthodox voivode. The metropolitans of that era lived up to the prince’s high standards and forged a strong bond between the Church and the Romanian language and culture, through the bibliophile treasures produced in the printing houses of Câmpulung, Govora, Dealu and Târgoviște. In the absence of a united front of Christian forces, the voivode’s cultural initiatives were the most appropriate means of defending Christendom. The Prince also gave his unconditional support to the sister Orthodox Christian Churches under the rule of the Sublime Porte. The printing of books in Church Slavonic for Orthodox Christians in south-eastern Europe was one of the forms of support provided by the prince.
For his life, lived in great holiness and with great love for God, for his many church endowments, and for the defence of the faith and values of this nation, Matei Basarab deserves to be included in the Orthodox synaxarion, alongside his great-grandfather, Saint Neagoe Basarab, and his great-grandson, the Holy Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu.
- 1
Nicolae Iorga, The History of the Romanians, vol. VI: Monarchies, ‘Datina Românească’ Press, Vălenii de Munte, 1938, p. 83.
- 2
Francisc Pall, ‘Unpublished data on Italian-Romanian cultural ties in the mid-17th century’, from Italian Studies, vol. VI, Bucharest, 1940, p. 24.
- 3
Alexandru Elian et al., Medieval Inscriptions of Romania I. The City of Bucharest 1395–1800, published by the Academy of the Socialist Republic of Romania, Bucharest, 1965, p. 789.
- 4
DRH, B, vol. XXII (1639–1640), p. XVIII.
- 5
Constantin C. Giurescu, Matei Basarab, the greatest church founder of our nation. New information about his places of worship, Bucharest, 1946, 12 pp. Excerpt from the commemorative volume Tribute on the occasion of the eightieth birthday of His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicodim, Patriarch of Romania, Bucharest, 1946, pp. 167–176.
- 6
Foreign Travellers on the Romanian Principalities, Vol. V, Ed. Științifică, Bucharest, 1973, pp. 206–207.
- 7
The History of Wallachia (1290–1690). The Cantacuzino Chronicle, a critical edition compiled by C. Greceanu and D. Simonescu, Published by the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 1960, p. 106.
- 8
Radu Popescu, The Histories of the Princes of Wallachia, in Chronicles of Wallachia, vol. II, edited by Mihail Gregorian, Minerva Publishers, Bucharest, 1984, p. 98.
- 9
Nicolae Stoicescu, Matei Basarab, published by the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, 1988, p. 99.
- 10
Foreign Travellers, Vol. V, p. 208.
- 11
DRH, B, vol. XXII (1639–1640), p. 620.
- 12
Gherasimo Smyrnakis, Mount Athos, 1903; Anastatic Edition, Karies, 1988, p. 490.
- 13
Nicolae Iorga, Inscriptions from the Churches of Romania, Vol. II, Bucharest, 1908, p. 307.
- 14
Iolanda Micu, Radu Lungu, ‘Aspects of cultural patronage during the reign of Matei Basarab’, in M.O., 36, no. 5–6, May–June 1984, p. 363.
- 15
Florin Epure, The Foundations of Matei Basarab in Oltenia, Rao Publishers, Bucharest, 2014, p. 49.
- 16
Virgil Cândea (editor), The History of the Romanians, vol. V, An Era of Renewal in the European Spirit, Ed. Enciclopedică, Bucharest, 2003, p. 874.
- 17
Mihail Moxa, Cronica universală 1620. A critical edition, accompanied by source material, an introductory study, notes and indices by G. Mihăilă, Minerva Publishers, Bucharest, 1989, p. 86.
- 18
Ion Bianu, Nerva Hodoș, Early Romanian Bibliography, Volume I, Parts IV–V, Bucharest, 1903, pp. 105–106.
- 19
Ion Peretz, ‘The Govora Rules’, in the Journal of History, Archaeology and Philology, Bucharest (RIAF), vol. XI, 1910, pp. 72–95.
- 20
Nicolae Stoicescu, op. cit., p. 201.