In accordance with the Decision of the Holy Synod and the High Blessing of the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, on the advice of the Ministry of Culture, in 2014 began the exhumation of the relics of Saint Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu from the princely tomb in the Church of ‘Saint George’ the New.
For this occasion, which carried particular spiritual, historical and emotional significance, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel appointed a commission comprising theologians, archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, an architect specialising in historic monuments, and two stone restoration specialists. This committee was chaired by His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest. The members of this committee were as follows: His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, subsequently elected by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the office of Archbishop of Râmnic; Rev. Fr. Ionuț Corduneanu, Patriarchal Vicar; Rev. Fr. Alexandru Moțoc, General Ecclesiastical Inspector; Rev. Prof. Dr Emil Nedelea Cărămizaru, parish priest of the Church of ‘St George’ in Nou; Prof. Dr Emilian Popescu, member of the Romanian Academy; Prof. Dr Panait I. Panait, historian and specialist archaeologist; Prof. Dr Gheorghe Mănucu Adameșteanu, expert archaeologist; Dr Raluca-Iuliana Popescu, specialist archaeologist; Ingrid Pool, expert in archaeometry; Dr Andrei Soficaru, specialist anthropologist at the “Francisc Rainer” Institute of the Romanian Academy; Dr Mihai Constantinescu, specialist anthropologist, “Francisc Rainer” Institute of the Romanian Academy; Architect Dr Dan D. Ionescu, specialist in historic monuments; Prof. Anton Rațiu, sculptor; Alexandru Siminic, sculptor and restorer of historic monuments. A team from the Cemeteries and Funeral Services Department of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, coordinated by Rev. Costinel Ailioaiei, Diocesan Adviser, also took part in this project at the New ‘St George’ Church. The archaeological work on the tomb of Saint Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu took place between 12 and 15 May 2014.
The operation to remove the tomb slab began on the morning of Monday, 12 May 2014. Before work began, a prayer of blessing was said in the presence of His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul and the members of the commission, after which the designated team proceeded to the actual task of opening the voivode’s tomb. First, the tombstone – weighing approximately 1,000 kilograms and cracked in three places since the fire of March 1847 – was carefully removed. Next, the brick ‘bed’ on which the tombstone had been placed in 1985 was removed. Subsequently, the team set about removing the concrete slab that had been laid over the crypts during the consolidation and protection works carried out on the tomb, also in 1985, under the supervision of the renowned architect Ștefan Balș. As is well known, the work carried out on the voivode’s tomb in 1985 was intended solely to consolidate the tomb, with the coffins in the crypts remaining untouched. After the concrete slab was opened on Tuesday, 13 May 2014, three crypts separated by brick walls were discovered, inside which were three coffins. The first coffin to be identified was that of Prince Ioan Mavrocordat (1716–1719). The coffin was located in the crypt on the south-western side. The identity of the prince’s remains was established on the basis of a glass container, sealed at both ends, which contained a handwritten document signed by Prince Constantin Edgar Mavrocordat on 22 May 1934, in which he stated that the coffin contained the remains of his ancestor, Prince Ioan Mavrocordat. This document clarifies the identity of the remains, both those of Prince Ioan Mavrocordat and the fact that ‘the second reliquary contains remains not belonging to the Mavrocordat family, which must not be confused with those of Ioan Vodă Mavrocordat, which are placed directly beneath the end of the crypt’.
Furthermore, the identification of Ioan Vodă Mavrocordat’s remains was aided by the presence of metal letters bearing the initials ‘I M’ (Ioan Mavrocordat) and a miniature crown, also made of metal, all of which were affixed to the coffin. Consequently, specialist archaeologists and anthropologists, based on current and previous research, have established that the coffin adjacent to that of Ioan Vodă Mavrocordat contains the remains of the Brâncoven family (located in the south-eastern crypt). Once the identity of the remains in the two crypts had been established, the commission’s attention turned to the third coffin, situated on the northern side of the tomb. Indeed, in accordance with earlier archaeological accounts, the relics of the Martyr and Saint Prince Constantin Vodă Brâncoveanu were found in this crypt. They were arranged in the shape of a cross, with the saint’s skull situated at the top of the relics. The discovery of the holy relics stirred deep emotion amongst the commission members. The team of anthropologists, upon examining the holy relics, noted the following regarding the skull of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu: ‘The skull belongs to a male, aged approximately 60 years. It bears the marks of a circular perforation on the left parietal bone, caused by a sharp object. We were also able to observe, on the posterior aspect of the mandibular rami, traces of injuries caused by cutting objects. These observations are consistent with the known historical accounts of the murder of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and with the findings of the anthropological analysis carried out in 1932.”
On the day the coffins were discovered, the research team from the Bucharest Municipal Museum was joined by Dr Mihai Constantinescu and Dr Andrei Soficaru, researchers from the ‘Francisc J. Rainer’ Institute of Anthropology of the Romanian Academy, to examine the remains of different ages and genders found in those coffins. The two anthropologists’ analyses of the sacred remains of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu confirmed the research carried out in 1932 by Professor Francisc J. Rainer. “The skull belongs to a male aged around 60. We observed cut marks, similar to those produced during a beheading, particularly on the posterior part of the mandibular rami, on both the left and right sides; traces of a circular perforation on the left parietal bone, caused by a sharp object, probably a spear. These observations confirm the historical accounts relating to the murder of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and his sons, as well as the analyses carried out in 1932 by Professor Rainer and Professor Minovici. We also had the opportunity to study the remaining skeletal remains in the Brâncoveanu family crypt. We were able to identify the remains of Lord Ioan Mavrocordat. “Thus, according to our analyses and known historical data, it appears that we are indeed dealing with the remains of Prince Brâncoveanu, his family and Mr Ioan Mavrocordat,” explained anthropologist Dr Mihai Constantinescu 1.
“Indeed, these are the remains of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu”
“This is the third time in the last century that this tomb has been opened. There wasn’t a great deal of, shall we say, academic excitement, but, spiritually speaking, it was a truly special moment, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When the anthropologists gave us their explanations, I could actually picture before my eyes the moments described in the chronicles, in which Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu, the last to be executed, had his head cut off, and the remaining bones show how the lower part of his face was severed. The hole in the skull was in fact the point through which the spear emerged from his head after he had been beheaded, so that Saint Constantine’s head could be paraded through the city of Constantinople and this horrific crime they had committed could be displayed. The pages of history and holiness unfolded before our eyes in a very vivid manner. Following the opening of the tomb and the re-identification of Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu, the ecclesiastical rite took place to place the venerable relics, identified in that crypt, into the reliquary specially prepared in the Patriarchate’s workshops, in accordance with their anatomical position. This ceremony took place at the ‘St George the New’ Church1,” stated Fr Ionuț-Gabriel Corduneanu, patriarchal administrative vicar, a member of the Romanian Patriarchate’s Commission for the Unveiling of the Tomb of Saint Voivode Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu and Ioan Vodă Mavrocordat.
I bear witness, as a witness to and participant in this event of historical and spiritual significance, that the profound emotional impact of the discovery of the holy relics of the Great Prince and Holy Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu will remain in my mind and heart forever. The discovery of the relics of Saint Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu represents the most important and unforgettable moment in my life as a minister of the Holy Church. For me, it was a spiritual privilege to take part, as a minister at the holy altar of the church founded by Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu, in this historic occasion. Knowing that this spiritual, historical and scientific endeavour has fulfilled the long-held expectations of the clergy and the Orthodox faithful, I believe that the documentation presented for the opening of the voivode’s tomb has achieved its ultimate purpose. The triumphant conclusion of the identification of the holy relics, as well as their transfer to the reliquary, is the fruit of the faith, hope and toil of several generations who loved Christ and venerated the Holy Martyrs of the Brâncoveanu family.
On Thursday, 15 May, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, surrounded by the priests serving at the ‘St George’-Nou in Bucharest, celebrated the Parastas service for those whose remains had been exhumed.
The holy relics of Saint Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu were placed, following a special rite, in a reliquary crafted from gilded silver at the Workshops of the Romanian Patriarchate. This reliquary was created with the High Blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel and through the efforts of His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
On 17 May 2014, a press conference was held at the Suțu Palace in the capital. The media covered the event and discussed it at length. During the press conference, moderated by Dr Gheorghe Mănucu Adameșteanu, an expert archaeologist and head of the archaeological site, it was stated that, during the archaeological investigations, artefacts known and attested by historical documents and sources had been discovered. Professor Dr Panait I. Panait, who has researched the history of Bucharest for six decades, explained that beneath the ‘New St George’s Church’ in Bucharest lie the remains of the capital’s oldest church, built in the mid-15th century by Dobruș Banul, and that the ground inside the church and in its vicinity still holds secrets that archaeologists must bring to light. “We are delighted to be among those who investigated—myself included, back in 1985—the last, to date, the tomb of Constantin Brâncoveanu, and that we have this group of Romanian Christian saints who kept their faith in Jesus Christ and loved this people,” said the archaeologist Prof. Dr Panait I. Panait.
Architect Dr Dan. D. Ionescu, project manager for the restoration work currently taking place at this place of worship: “What has happened in recent days confirms the location of the tombs, namely that of Prince Ioan Mavrocordat, buried in 1719, who succeeded Nicolae Mavrocordat, Ștefan Cantacuzino and Constantin Brâncoveanu. Next to him lies the tomb of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu. Both tombs feature very beautiful slabs, made of exceptional marble and crafted in the Brâncoveanu style. Furthermore, the church’s foundations have been identified, most likely dating from the time of Dobruș Banul, though further research is required.”
The reliquary containing the relics of the Holy Martyr Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu was consecrated on 20 May by His Beatitude Father Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in the ‘Saint George the Great Martyr’ Chapel at the patriarchal residence, an event attended by hierarchs of the Metropolitan Synod of Muntenia and Dobrogea, priests and deacons from the patriarchal residence, the patriarchal and diocesan administrations, and the clergy of the Patriarchal Cathedral. The assembly of hierarchs included His Eminence Calinic, Archbishop of Argeș and Muscel; His Eminence Casian, Archbishop of the Lower Danube; His Grace Bishop Visarion of Tulcea, His Grace Bishop Siluan, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Hungary, His Grace Varlaam of Ploiești, Patriarchal Vicar Bishop, and His Grace Varsanufie of Prahova, Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
“This reliquary of the Holy Martyr Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu is a reliquary through which we offer the gift of Romanian art from his own gifts. We return to Saint Constantine Brâncoveanu the beauty of the Brâncoveanu style through which he honoured the Romanian people, and now we, from his gifts, have prepared this gift of gratitude, piety and honour, learning through it that gratitude is the greatest virtue of Christians and the greatest act, as shown to us by the Holy Gratitude known as the Holy Eucharist. “The legacy of Brâncoveanu signifies a strong, self-sacrificing faith and an art of synthesis between the spiritual values of the East and those of the Western Church,” said His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel.
On the morning of 21 May 2014, the feast day of Saints Constantine and Helena (the patron saints of the Patriarchal Cathedral), following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral, a solemn procession carrying the relics of Saint Martyr Constantin Brâncoveanu took place from 3.00 pm, following this route: the Patriarchal Cathedral, ‘Domnița Bălașa’ Church, University Square and ‘St George’–New Church, where the holy relics were laid to rest.
