#The Brâncoveanu Martyrs

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.

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.

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.