Dimitrie Cantemir's poetry celebrated in Brussels. Why there?
Articol de Bogdan Isopescu, 23 Noiembrie 2025, 14:30
Why does Dimitrie Cantemir have a bust in Brussels, in Place Egide Rombaux? Or in Milan? Or why does his name appear on the façade of the Sainte-Geneviève Library in Paris? There are countless threads that, for hundreds of years, have linked today's Romania to corners of Europe. These are unknown threads, ranging from trade to culture and from diplomacy to personal connections. Some are connections of love. All of these are evidence of our European identity.
In Cantemir's case, it was his connection with the brilliant, innovative minds of Europe three centuries ago.
In the case of Brussels, it was his academic connection with the Brussels chemist Jean-Baptiste van Helmont.
In the case of France, his posthumous connection with Voltaire, who studied his writings and wrote, in turn, about the Moldavian ruler's mind. And when, on a trip to these places, we are surprised by his appearance, it does us good. We feel good. We feel important as Romanians. We open our phones, take a picture, access the internet, and find out who this Cantemir is that we seem to remember. When foreigners see him alongside Voltaire, they also open the internet and find out that we exist. We, the Romanians.
After several events in recent years, after the early music concert at Bozar, with music written by Dimitrie Cantemir himself (shocking, right?), the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium decided to promote his poetry as well.
The Poems of the Unicorn, an anthology compiled, prefaced, and edited by Ion Hadarca, translated into English by Catalina Francu and Ana Munteanu (TipoMoldova Publishing House 2024).
The event was organized in collaboration with ICR Brussels and Computerland Romania (who put the hologram of the Moldovan ruler on the Bozar stage, a hologram that was presented to the public and told the story of his times during the breaks between the musical pieces he composed).
The volume "Dimitrie Cantemir – Poemele Inorogului" includes 210 poems which, according to those who edited them, retain their originality and modernity, even though they were written more than 300 years ago.
We have few things from 300 years ago, unlike the West (let's be honest), but Cantemir was on par with the minds of the Western kingdoms at that time.
History, music, philosophy, geography, art, the elegance of the sword, and poetry. Through him, these are the elements that place and define us, or remind us that we have been part of Europe for some time.
Translated by: Radu Matei
