Soborul de Bobotează și punerea în scenă a puterii domnești în Țara Românească (secolul al XVI-lea)
The Epiphany Ceremony of the Wallachian Court and the Staging of Princely Power (16th century)

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the role of Epiphany assemblies held at the princely court of Wallachia during the late sixteenth century, situating them within the broader context of courtly rituals and the display of princely authority. Until now, historians have reconstructed the winter festivities at the Wallachian princely court mainly from late narrative sources, complemented by Moldavian parallels and ethnographic analogies. The result is a compelling reconstruction, but one that leaves no room for diachronic change and whose historical basis for earlier periods cannot be verified. The present study primarily relies on chancery sources, analysing the Epiphany assemblies through the lens of princely charters issued during their occurrence. Dating formulas, lists of witnesses, and especially the intensive activity of the chancery in the days surrounding Epiphany offer an indirect yet insightful perspective on the court’s political and liturgical rhythms. The study examines how Epiphany assemblies functioned as both religious celebrations and political arenas, where the presence or absence of members of the lay and clerical elite of the country served as a visible sign of loyalty to the ruler or, on the contrary, as a challenge to his authority. In the first half of the sixteenth century, notable absences from the Epiphany assemblies indicated the ruler’s vulnerability and were often followed by attempts to usurp the throne, explaining the frequent campaigns launched by pretenders during the winter months. The gradual integration of Wallachia into the Ottoman Empire disrupted the synchronism between liturgical and political cycles; nonetheless, the Epiphany assembly remained the highlight of the princely court calendar.

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