Vornicia Târgoviştei la sfârşitul secolului al XVII-lea
The magistrate (Vornicul) of Târgovişte at the end of 12th century

Summary/Abstract: The reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu represented the last flourishing period of the town of Târgovişte as the capital of Wallachia. The Prince took a special care of the town: he rebuilt the old princely palace where he used to live most part of the year. Under these circumstances, the local institutions of the magistrate (vornicul) played an important role in the history of the town, in Constantin Brâncoveanu’s administration and in the relationships between the Prince and the urban communities of Wallachia. The magistrate (vornicul) was the representative of central power in the town and his authority was bigger than that of the city dwellers’ representatives. At the end of the XVIIth century, for almost a decade Târgovişte had as magistrate Pascale-Pascalie. The promotion to his function and the fortune he got during this period of time can be reconstructed on the basis of the documents published by G. Potra. We have revised part of these documents at the National Archives in Bucharest, belonging to the files of the Hurezi, Nucet and Polovragi monasteries. Pascale was probably Greek at his origin and he was in charge of the administration of princely domains and tax collection. Between 1682–1700, Pascale gathered an important wealth: ten cellars, nine store placements, six pieces of land, twenty-five orchards, fifteen vineyards and a water-mill place. Pascale died at the end of 1700 and his wealth was squandered. The reconstruction of his life and activity allowed us to draw a few conclusions. The magistrate (vornicul) of Târgovişte had especially economic and financial attributions. Pascale’s wealth was the result of his inventive mind and of the advantages he took from his position. The social ascent of Pascale can stand for a good example for the process of social mobility in Wallachia in the XVIIth century

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