The Culture from the begining of 17th century till the first decades of 19th century

Begining with the 17th century, the history of Romanian Countrues wrote down less direct armed confronting with Ottoman Empire, the activity of romnian rulers being directed to diplomatic field. On cultural field, beside the foundation activity of princes and boyars, the Church, an important institution, developed an impressive activity, by printing of books destined both to cleric and laic, by construction of religious edifices that underlined its position in the state frame. In consequence, the art was especially religious and looked for its rows in the heritage of the former century.

On 17th century course, the new wallachian style it constitutes by the fusion of structures that become traditional and of a baroque ornaments (came from Constantinopole or from Transylvania) with oriental elements. In this context, Matei Basarab's epoch (1632-1654) is enscribed in the history of Romanian Country as a period of cultural-artistic florishing, when on traditional background of building science it affirms new technic, structure and decoration forms (Strehaia, Brebu, Brâncoveni).

It must be underlined for that time the great number of churches from towns and villages that reached to hundreds on the whole teritory of country and were the elements of ''new wallachian style'' are addapted to the material resources of the fondators on more and more simple and popular forms. These churches are an unity element in Wallachia's peisage.

In its process of development, that painture osciled between two tendinces: on a hand the post-byzantine greek-athonite art, and on the other hand the activity of indigen artists that continues the tradition of the former centuries and that will end to be a peculiar style for Wallachia (the fresces from Arnota, Filipestii de Pădure, Coltea, Sinaia).

Alongside of embroidery and painture of icons, the sculpture in stone suffered changes entering in the second phase. The geometrical ornamental collection was replaced by a luxuriant florish background of occidental type, a transformind dued to influence of gothical (through moldovian way), renaisscentist or baroque sculpture. The fitting of architectural forms according to a proper vision, contributing at the creation of ''Brâncoveanu 's style'' in sculpture, wood sculpture, architecture (portals and decorations, porticos, iconostasia Cotroceni, the gates from Tismana).

If in the first decades of 17th century, the silver masters kept the two styles: the occidental one and the traditional one of Balkans, in the second half of the century the influence of transylvanian workrooms leave its mark on their works, reaching that in Brâncoveanu's style - characterised through the using of the same decorations as in sculpture or architecure.

The printing extends and the number of printing houses raises, except the one from Târgoviste, it settled up another new ones at Bucuresti, Râmnic, Buzău. In this frame an intense activity had Antim the Ivireanu, the mitropolite of Romanian Country, who, beside the books destinated to religious services , he printed also laic books, among, them a Grammar in the printing house from Snagov.

In what concern Moldavia, on that period of end era, in religious architecure field it inaugurate the series of churches influenced by wallachian constructive art (Dragomirna, Trei Ierarhi), while from the point of view of ornamental conception, outstandingly was the oriental model.

In manuscript field are remarkable the miniature executed by Anastasie Crimca, considered an innovator in this field - he realised a decorative style, exclusive graphic, extending in the same time the repertory of themes.

The miniature executed by Anastasie Crimca Dragomirna Monastery, Suceava

The icons occupied an important place in cultural activity, the masters keeping their own traditions of technical execution and suffering less foreign stylistic influences (the imperial icons from Humor, the iconostasis Moldovita, Voronet).

Among the embroiders realised on this period of a special beautifulness are: Ieremia Movilă's, Vasile Lupu's and lady Tudosca's grave covers, embroiders that had echos of late Renaissance and of Baroque, beside them, on the decoration of the pieces executed from pretious metals, can exist also the oriental ones (silvery Vasile Lupu).

As in the other Romanian Countries, in Transylvania from 17th century, the Renaissance's influence and then the one of Baroque was more and more obviously. The religious and the civil buildings continuated the former traditions (the castles, churches, the gate Alba Iulia), a special moment being the influence of Brâncoveanu's art and architecture (the churches Sf. Nicolae - Făgăras, Sâmbăta de Sus).

On 17th century, under the sign of union, the cooperation between the three states was presented on all 17th century, being doubled by diplomatic activity. In 1635 it settled the alliance between Matei Basarab, Gheorghe Racoczy the 2nd and Constantin Serban. At the middle of the century, Mihnea the 3rd, being obsessed of the model offered by Mihai the Brave he made an alliance with Gh. Racokzy the 3rd to escape from Porte's domination. His victory againts turks was the last romanian victory from 17th century.

To end of the century, the diplomatic activity had the precedence, especially on Serban Cantacuzino's time, Constantin Brâncoveanu's time and Dimitrie Cantemir's time. Constantin Brâncoveanu assured in the ime of his ruling a period of progress and prosperity, and through an active diplomacy he succeded to maintain his kingdom, against the suspicions of the Porte. He put his attention to ortodoxe power, Russia, obliged himself to help it with his army. Being suspected by the Porte to be with Russia, he was killed together with his sons, because he didn't want to reject his belief. The generations to come kept his image as a christian, abile, curageous prince, abile diplomate who assured the stability of Wallachia during his reign.

Dimitrie Cantemir followed the same politics, signing with Petru the 1st an alliance through which he obliged to help him with army against the Porte.

It followed a century of reigns among Phanariotes, named by sultane from 1714, respectively 1716. The period of phanariote reigns which lasted till 1821, was one of regress, with small exceptions as were the reformating trials of Constantin Mavrocordat, which had to bring modernity to romanian society. Through his reforms on both two romanian countries, he abolished the serfdom, he fixed the number of work-days of peasants and he suppresses the boyars titles. Although they marked a subordonation to the Porte, the phanariote reigns represented a renovation period on social-economical plan, contributed to institutional union of Romanian Countries.

On economical plan, the principal economical branches remained the agriculture, the minimg and the handcraft wares, the exploiting of salt, iron, coper and gold ores in Transylvania, it modernosed in what concern the extraction and administrative organisation. The landed trades from villages and towns had different shares. The landed and villages trades were connected to the produces and technical instalations of which it was endowed the places as: mills, fulling mills, distillers. Some trades were permanently as the one of farrier-shoeing smith. It developed also the town professions, the handworkers were grouped in corporations leaded by a chief. The principal trades were the ones connected by: weave, curry, pottery and metal processing.

The first manufactures in the 17th century were the printing ones on which the workers were specialised (Govora). The most manufactures were formed on boyars' and nobilies' lands, with the peasants' free working hands. On 17th century it produced glass, paper and cloth to which it added on 18th century the candles manufactures.

The internal trade was permanent only in towns, while on boyar's and monastery's estates it organised markets and in villages the trade was strollingly. In towns the trade was done by merchants organised in corporations. The external trade was monopolised by Ottoman Porte, and on 18th century the trade of Transylvania was monopolised by Habsburgic Empire. The Porte bought especially: cattle, wheat, honey salt and materials for buildings.

In the long row of the writtings with historiographycal features, one of the most brilliant erudites, Dimitrie Cantemir, will dedicated a work to this problem. Being a known encyclopedist, author of the work that made him famous in the whole Europe, ''Incremenets'' translated into english, french and german, Dimitrie Cantemir argued the origin of romanians from dacians and romans in the competent work ''The Hronic''. Being choosed member of Academy from Berlin in 1714, Cantemir will be characterised by german philosopher G.W.Leibnitz, the founder of Academy ''king among philosophers, philosopher among kings''.

The theory of common origin of romanians reached a new state through scientifical arguments brought by ideological and cultural movement with enlightnment feature of the intellectuals from Transylvania, known under the name of ''Ardelean School''. Its representatives carried on their activity from the end of 18th - the begining of 19th century and through philological, linguistical and historical writtings they initiated the directions and the forms of modern romanian culture, they had an important role in stimulating of history and philology studies, of grammer and lexical learning, the orientation of literature through classicism.

By all their achievements, they impulsed the development of natiomal school, and promoting the enlightnment ideas, they eleborated textbooks, practicaly works. The outstanding representatives of Ardelean School were: Samuil Micu, Gh, Sincai, Petru Maior, Ion Budai Deleanu, who carried on their activity especially at Blaj, Buda, Oradea.