Cântecul Gintei Latine: Vasile Alecsandri, ‘race’ connections and the Latinity of the Romanians (1850s–1870s)

Abstract

This article reconstructs Vasile Alecsandri's political and cultural activities at an international level, as he attempted to raise public awareness (particularly in France and Italy) for the Romanian national cause, namely, by staking claim to the ‘Latinity’ of Romanians. It takes account of the European historical and political context in which the process took place, against the cultural backdrop of a growing interest in Romania, its people and language, and the development of the pan‐Latin ideal (and of macro‐nationalisms in general). In 1878, Alecsandri participated in the Fêtes Latines in Montpellier, competing for the best ‘Song of the Latin race’, illustrating his ability to use all available communication channels to further the Romanian Latin cause and bolster pan‐Latinism.