Book Reviews by Raul-Alexandru Todika
Recenzia în format extins pe care o supunem atenției publicului a pornit dintr-o exigență metodol... more Recenzia în format extins pe care o supunem atenției publicului a pornit dintr-o exigență metodologică asumată de mediul formativ clujean, dar care nu a fost, credem noi, atinsă de autorul volumului supus recenzării. Dorim să aducem în prim-plan carențele etice, metodologice și științifice pentru a pune capăt în mod clar, concis și precis dezbaterilor existente în jurul acestui volum. Această recenzie a fost realizată în urma unor ample consultări cu decanatul Facultății de Istorie și Filosofie și cu rectoratul UBB.
Conference Presentations by Raul-Alexandru Todika
In order to analyze the history and architecture of the noble residences of the Principality of T... more In order to analyze the history and architecture of the noble residences of the Principality of Transylvania, we must better understand the manner in which the Renaissance influences were transmitted in this part of Europe. Implicitly, the history of the Transylvanian noble families must be taken into consideration. The Bocskai Castle of Aghireșu represents an iconic manifestation of the Renaissance architectural principles within the Transylvanian territory, its planimetric design being in accordance with those promoted by the great architects of the time such as Baldassarre Peruzzi, Giacomo da Vignola or Sebastiano Serlio. Given the castle’s historical and architectural importance, the aim of this paper is to explore a variety of genealogical, documentary, and material sources in order to reconstruct the ownership and possession intricacies following multiple noble families which, at some point, had a right over it. Consequently, the present study comes to punctually complete the history of ownership over the castle of Aghireșu, from the beginning of its construction until the more recent centuries, an issue approached only fragmentarily in brief scientific contributions. The relevance of this article is linked to the provision of a comprehensive analysis on the history of the castle, at the same time raising awareness about its poor conservation conditions hoping that further action will be taken.
The Báthory Castle of Șimleu Silvaniei is a monument which has been endowed with a special signif... more The Báthory Castle of Șimleu Silvaniei is a monument which has been endowed with a special significance for both local and European history. It has been discussed over time in numerous contributions from the perspective of its history and its architectural characteristics. Notwithstanding this particular interest manifested by the scientific community in regard to the castle, the majority of the authors ignored a curiously-placed crown situated atop of the Báthory escutcheon which decorates the gatehouse’s main portal, and which can ultimately help us enrich our knowledge about the successive building phases. Therefore, this article aims to tackle the dating of the aforementioned architectural element, bringing into discussion a series of documentary, visual, and numismatic sources.
Cruciada este exemplul caracteristic al unei instituţii care de-a lungul timpului s-a dezvoltat, ... more Cruciada este exemplul caracteristic al unei instituţii care de-a lungul timpului s-a dezvoltat, s-a alterat şi s-a stins. Modificările şi devierile, superficiale la început, apoi din ce în ce mai maligne, produse în urma succesului său rapid care a depăşit scopul iniţial, au privat în cele din urmă instituţia de raţiunea ei de a exista. Dintr-o întreprindere care descătuşase entuziasmul religios al maselor, dar şi al elitelor, Cruciada s-a preschimbat în ceva metodic, determinat, calculat şi chiar raţionalizat fiscal, un eficace instrumentum regni şi chiar o acoperire ideologică pentru unele opţiuni politice de natură pur utilitaristă.
Papers by Raul-Alexandru Todika
Review of Ecumenical Studies, 2023
The Order of Cistercians was one of the most powerful tools employed by the Apostolic See in orde... more The Order of Cistercians was one of the most powerful tools employed by the Apostolic See in order to impose its hierocratic vision as well as its disciplinary regime and to forge the institutional, religious coherence of Christianitas during the 12th and 13th centuries. The main objective of this paper is to bring forward a problematization concerning the Cistercians acting as a means of evangelization in the service of Ecclesia Romana in relation to Christians of the Eastern rite. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, the present article emphasises the perception of the Holy See in regard to the elements external to Latin Christianity, the nature of Cistercian obedience to the Bishop of Rome, and discusses the presence of the White Monks in medieval Poland, Banat and Transylvania – border regions of Christianitas where the resurgence of previous beliefs or contacts with the population of the Eastern Christianity matrix were frequent.
Anuarul institutului de istorie „George Barițiu” din Cluj-Napoca, 2022
În vederea realizării unei analze pertinente a istoriei și arhitecturii reședințelor nobiliare di... more În vederea realizării unei analze pertinente a istoriei și arhitecturii reședințelor nobiliare din Principatul Transilvaniei este necesar să înțelegem modalitatea în care influențele principiilor arhitecturale renascentiste au fost transmise în această parte a Europei. Implicit, este imperativ să luăm în considerare bogata istorie a familiilor nobiliare transilvănene. Castelul Bocskai din Aghireșu reprezintă un monument definitoriu pentru manifestarea concepțiilor arhitecturale renascentiste pe teritoriul Transilvaniei, configurația sa planimetrică aflându-se în concordață cu modelele promovate de către ilustrativi arhitecți ai vremii precum Baldassarre Peruzzi, Giacomo da Vignola sau Sebastiano Serlio. Având în vedere deosebita importanță istorică și arhitecturală a castelului, scopul acestei lucrări este de a explora o varietate de surse genealogice, documentare și materiale în vederea reconstruirii complexei istorii a dreptului de proprietate pe care multiple familii nobiliare l-au avut asupra reședinței de-a lungul timpului. În consecință, prin articolul de față se propune completarea punctuală a istoriei dreptului de proprietate exercitat asupra castelului de la Aghireșu, de la începutul construcției acestuia și până în secolele mai recente, o problematică abordată doar fragmentar în contribuții științifice succinte. Relevanța acestui articol este legată de furnizarea unei analize cuprinzătoare asupra istoriei castelului, crescând în același timp gradul de conștientizare cu privire la condițiile precare de conservare în care se prezintă acest ilustrativ edificiu.
Review of Ecumenical Studies, 2021
Erratum: p. 480 - „...the Teutons and their possessions were placed under the protection of the H... more Erratum: p. 480 - „...the Teutons and their possessions were placed under the protection of the Holy See even before 1216, ever since their establishment as an Order in 1191 (see note 15). Pope Honorius III merely reconfirmed this well-known fact using the same formulation as his predecessors (see note 16).”
Abrstract: This article aims to discuss the presence of the military religious orders at the frontiers of Christianitas during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a period when the hierocratic auctoritas ecclesiae materialized itself through vigorous expansionism. The military religious orders acted in consensus with the Holy See and at the request of the political European entities (also subjected to the authority of the Pope) in regions where they could not withstand the threats which endangered parts of their kingdoms or possessions. Ultimately this article integrates the presence of the Teutonic Knights in Transylvania during the first half of the thirteenth century in this broad mission of expansionism and highlights how the Roman Pontiff established relationships with the kingdoms positioned at the edge of Christianitas.
Acta Mvsei Porolissensis, 2021
Scopul prezentului articol este reiterarea unor aspecte privitoare la istoria castelului Báthory ... more Scopul prezentului articol este reiterarea unor aspecte privitoare la istoria castelului Báthory din Șimleu Silvaniei, punând un accent deosebit asupra analizei elementelor sale constructive, în special a celor influenţate de principiile arhitecturale ale Renașterii. De asemenea, se propune o probelmatizare a datării ancadramentului portalului principal al corpului de poartă al castelului, aducând în discuţie o serie de surse documentare, vizuale și numismatice.
The main objective of this paper is to highlight the defining characteristics of the Order of the... more The main objective of this paper is to highlight the defining characteristics of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller as an ecclesial branch of the Ecclesia Romana and the means by which they established an extensive network of territorial possessions across the entire Europe between the 12th and the 13th centuries. This paper also emphasizes the particular example of the Medieval Kingdom of Hungary and the controversial diploma emitted by the Hungarian king Bela IV on the 2nd of June 1247. Within the analysis of the issuing context and the feasibility of the diploma’s effects, I will further discuss the matter of the dowry of Violant, queen consort of Aragon, understudied or intentionally omitted by both Romanian and Hungarian historiographies, which perceived the true nature of the Order with an acute scientific cecity. Therefore, this paper aims to provide the reader with the general frame of the relations between the Pontifical authority, the Order and the European nobility, as well as the involvement of the Hospitaller Order in crux cismarina, including their presence in the Medieval Kingdom of Hungary.
„Acta Musei Napocensis. Historica”, 56/II, 2019
The main objective of this paper is to bring forward a subject that was long neglected by the Rom... more The main objective of this paper is to bring forward a subject that was long neglected by the Romanian historiography and Slavic studies: the military importance of the contingents of Bohemian mercenaries within the army of John Hunyadi, and the extensive usage of the Wagenburg and the Hussite war wagons as part of the improvements of the armed forces in the Medieval Kingdom of Hungary. These changes were made by John Hunyadi during the first half of the fifteenth century, in relation to the tactical and strategic necessities imposed by the wars fought against the Turks. My approach of the topic sheds light on the ability of John Hunyadi to use the offensive, defensive, and logistical potential of this rudimentary but extremely versatile and efficient war machine, and points out at the fact that the Kingdom of Hungary was, at that time, up to date with the fourteenth- and fifteenth-century military technologies. In addition, this paper explores a variety of Christian and Ottoman sources and compares these narratives in regard to the subject. The current Romanian historiography has failed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Hussite-style war wagons, and thus the relevance of this paper is linked to broadening the perspective on the matter.
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Book Reviews by Raul-Alexandru Todika
Conference Presentations by Raul-Alexandru Todika
Papers by Raul-Alexandru Todika
Abrstract: This article aims to discuss the presence of the military religious orders at the frontiers of Christianitas during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a period when the hierocratic auctoritas ecclesiae materialized itself through vigorous expansionism. The military religious orders acted in consensus with the Holy See and at the request of the political European entities (also subjected to the authority of the Pope) in regions where they could not withstand the threats which endangered parts of their kingdoms or possessions. Ultimately this article integrates the presence of the Teutonic Knights in Transylvania during the first half of the thirteenth century in this broad mission of expansionism and highlights how the Roman Pontiff established relationships with the kingdoms positioned at the edge of Christianitas.
Abrstract: This article aims to discuss the presence of the military religious orders at the frontiers of Christianitas during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a period when the hierocratic auctoritas ecclesiae materialized itself through vigorous expansionism. The military religious orders acted in consensus with the Holy See and at the request of the political European entities (also subjected to the authority of the Pope) in regions where they could not withstand the threats which endangered parts of their kingdoms or possessions. Ultimately this article integrates the presence of the Teutonic Knights in Transylvania during the first half of the thirteenth century in this broad mission of expansionism and highlights how the Roman Pontiff established relationships with the kingdoms positioned at the edge of Christianitas.