Curtea unui principe cu „fire împărătească”. Moldova lui Vasile Lupu (1634-1653)
The Court of a Prince with an “Imperial Character”. The Moldavia of Vasile Lupu (1634-1653)

Summary/Abstract: Vasile Lupu’s reign in Moldova was one of the longest and most prosperous epochs of stability, in a century marked by wars, invasions and epidemics. The long period of calm and prosperity allowed him to organize his political and economic power, with a view to playing a significant role in the politics of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. A complex personality, a ruler with “imperial character” and the name of a Byzantine basileus, Vasile Lupu raised the level of organization and representation of the princely power in Moldavia. The length of the reign and the wealth of the lord allowed for the organization of a true court society, where a strict etiquette was in place and where the court took on unprecedented dimensions. His court in Iași acquired a special brilliance, noticed by chroniclers, diplomats, messengers, delegates and foreign travelers. The ruler’s court was an architectural masterpiece, comprising the residences for the ruler, his family and the princely retinue, but also the headquarters of the administration. The holidays, the feasts, the weddings, the reception of the messages were always glorious. The fame of the weddings of Vasile Lupu’s daughters, Maria and Ruxandra, spread beyond the borders of Moldavia. All the standards of representation of the royal person and of his brilliant court reached an unprecedented level at the time and were taken as a model by the princes who succeeded him to the throne of Moldavia.

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