The Brâncoveanu Martyrs

Theatrum No. II (XVIII) / 2024 Constantin Alexandru Popa

The play The Happiest Man on Earth dramatises the final days of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, from his deposition by the envoy of Sultan Ahmed III to his execution and that of his sons in Istanbul, exploring through intense dialogue the themes of faith, power, gold and paternal sacrifice. The audience is presented with the portrait of a lucid martyr who refuses to renounce his faith despite pressure from the sultan and the betrayal of Ștefan Cantacuzino, choosing death alongside his sons rather than survival at the cost of renouncing the Christian faith.

Ars Christiana No. I (XVII) / 2024 A film like a lament: ‘Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu’ Elena Dulgheru

Dan Pița’s film Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu (2024) re-enacts the martyrdom of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and his family, drawing on a Christian lament and a historical parable, with Dorel Vișan in the role of the steward Cantacuzino. The review highlights a low-budget film with laudable iconic ambitions, but one marred by modest set design, uneven acting and insufficient resources.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (XI) / 2021 On the deposition and beheading of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu: details from the domestic chronicles Dr. Oana-Mădălina Popescu

The study analyses the causes of the deposition and beheading of Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu (15 August 1714), based on domestic narrative sources — the chronicles of Radu Popescu, the Anonymous Chronicle, the accounts of Anton-Maria del Chiaro and Dimitrie Cantemir — and the Ottoman documents published by Mihai Maxim, demonstrating that the Cantacuzino family orchestrated the voivode’s downfall through intrigues, forgeries and denunciations, with the aim of seizing the rule of Wallachia.

Studia Humanitatis No. I (X) / 2020 Saint Constantin Brâncoveanu, a princely role model Academician, University Professor, Dr Răzvan Theodorescu

The reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714) is analysed as an era of cultural synthesis in Wallachia, during which artistic patronage, residential and religious architecture, printed works and mural painting shaped an original pan-Romanian style. By relating the prince’s actions to the principles of Medicean culture and the European Baroque context, the article demonstrates that Brâncoveanu represented a watershed in the Romanians’ transition from the Middle Ages to modernity.

Theatrum No. I (V) / 2018 The Martyrdom of the Brâncoveanu Saints Rev. Prof. Dr. Codruț-Dumitru Scurtu

This three-act play depicts the martyrdom of the Brâncoveanu Saints: Constantin Vodă, his four sons and his adviser Ianache Văcărescu, who were executed in Constantinople on 15 August 1714 on the orders of Sultan Ahmed. The plot unfolds through the prophecy of the nun Platonida of Hurezi Monastery, Constantin’s dialogue with the Sultan on the banks of the Bosphorus and the testimony of the Venetian plenipotentiary Andreea Memno before Doge Giovanni II Corner, culminating in the reading of the Tomos of canonisation dated 20 June 1992.

Theatrum No. II (II) / 2016 Antim — A play in four acts Rev. Prof. Dr. Codruț-Dumitru Scurtu

This four-act play recounts the life and martyrdom of Saint Antim of Ivire, Metropolitan of Wallachia, tracking his journey from his ransom from slavery by Lady Marica Brâncoveanu in 1674 on the Bosphorus to his exile and martyrdom in 1716, ordered by Nicolae Mavrocordat. The reader learns about Antim’s work in printing and liturgy, his relations with Patriarch Dositei of Jerusalem, the Brâncoveanu family and Metropolitan Mitrofan, as well as his canonisation in 1992.

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