Constantin II Șerban (died 1682) was the

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

from 1654 to 1658. He was an illegitimate son of Radu Şerban. According to custom, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince.

Reign

He was an illegitimate son of Radu Şerban. His rule saw the rebellion of the '' seimeni'' mercenaries (1655). In order to deal with the issue, Constantin Şerban allied himself with the

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

George II Rákóczi, including himself in the latter's plans for emancipation from Ottoman rule. In 1657, the Porte deposed him; Constantin Şerban went on to fight alongside Rákóczi, managing to upset Ottoman presence in

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

and briefly occupying the throne in Iaşi, at two different moments (in 1659 and 1661). Paul of Aleppo documents the derelict state of Wallachia during the Ottoman intervention, including an account of the

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

population fleeing for the

Transylvanian Alps The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ; ) are a group of mountain ranges located in southern Romania. They cover the part of the Carpathian Mountains located between the Prahova River in the east and the Timiș and ...

("''where the Wallachians were accustomed to take refuge in time of need''"). In 1656, the Prince ordered the building of the

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

Metropolitan Cathedral (today:

Patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...

), partly modeled on the Curtea de Argeş Monastery – but larger and more austere. In his honour, the church was given the

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

Saints Constantine (his namesake) and Helena. In 1658, he set fire to the city, trying to prevent his adversary Mihnea III from making use of its facilities.

References

* Gheorghe I. Brătianu, ''Sfatul domnesc şi Adunarea Stărilor în Principatele Române'', Bucharest, 1995 * Constantin C. Giurescu, ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'', Bucharest, 1966, p. 73-75

External links

Paul of Aleppo's account of Wallachia

(in Romanian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Serban, Constantin 1682 deaths 17th-century princes of Wallachia 17th-century military personnel of the Principality of Wallachia Monarchs of Moldavia Mutilated pretenders to the Wallachian throne 17th-century Moldavian people Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown Craiovești family