Background
He was the illegitimate son of Mihnea Turcitul by Voica Bratcul.
He was the illegitimate son of Mihnea Turcitul by Voica Bratcul.
Radu Mihnea spent part of his early years in Koper (Capodistria), on Mount Athos and in Greece. His stay in the Serenissima accounts for the pro-Venetian character of his rule, and his interest in reforming the institutions of Wallachia and Moldavia. After completing his studies in Istanbul, Radu became prince of Wallachia at a very important time in Romanian history: following the union of the three principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under Michael the Brave.
Radu would rule no less than four times in Wallachia and twice in Moldavia.
He was loved due to his Renaissance-style and love of the arts This was due to his upbringing by the monks of Iveron at Mount Athos, Greece.
Radu Mihnea died in 1626 in Moldavia, and his body was carried to Bucharest and interred at the Church of Prince Radu. The monastery was protected by the monks of Mount Athos due to Radu"s loyalty to his educators.
These five would be the last surviving direct descendants of Vlad III Dracula.
The eldest was Alexandru Coconul. He replaced Polish vassal Simion Movilă on the throne in Bucharest after the brief occupation of Wallachia by the troops of hetmans January Zamoyski and January Karol Chodkiewicz. His first rule in the country signified the return to Ottoman control, interrupted since Michael the Brave.
The subtlety of this gesture is discarded in several sources:
Radulo Voivode, Prince of Wallachia and Moldavia (various documents).
Radu Mihnea"s tombstone bears the carving of both countries" seals. An article in a Romanian newspaper in the 1950s acknowledged the death of the last direct male descendant of Radu Mihnea Voda, Dumitru Radulescu(Radu)- a church, artist painter.
However, it is not widely known that female descendents of Radu Mihnea do in fact still live in Bucharest. In fact, the bloodline extends as far as a 10th generation, through the continuing linage of the sister of Dumitru Radu, Rozalia Matilda Radulescu (Radu).