Sit of Cetatea Neamţului (1476)

The Seat of Cetatea Neamţului in 1476 was an significant event in the history of the Moldavie. Cetatea Neamţului ( the fortress of Neamţ ) was a Forteresse which one says that it was built in XIIIe century by the Chevaliers Teutoniques for defense against the incursions of the Tatars.

Context

In 1476, after having beaten the armies of the Moldavie to the battles of Valea Albă, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire Mehmet II ( Mehmed ) forced the Voïvode of Moldavie Etienne III Large the ( Ştefan concealment Mare ) to be withdrawn in Cetatea Neamţului. According to the legend, the mother of Ştefan refused to let it enter the fortress, and rather advised to him to move towards north, towards what is currently the Bucovine, and to gather its army.

Unfolding

Whereas Ştefan was in Bucovine to gather its forces, Mehmet II made the head office of Cetatea Neamţului. It positioned its guns on a neighbouring hill, and started to bombard the fortress, by causing many damage. The Moldavian garrison was about to go, when a Saxon prisoner , kept in the keep, had the idea to use the guns against the position of the Othomans on the hill. Its idea was put at once in practice, and soon the camp of the Turks was bombarded, forcing Mehmed to leave the place. This event is reported in the chronicle of Ion Neculce.

Sit of Cetatea Neamţului by Jean III Sobieski

Another history (which is probably a legend) tells that, during the reign of Constantin Cantemir in Moldavie, i.e. at the end of the XVIIe century - beginning of XVIIIe, on their way of return after having plundered Moldavie, the strong army of 20.000 men of the king of Poland, Jean III Sobieski, crossed Cetatea Neamţului, which was defended per less than 20 men. Polish attacked the fortress, they believed that it contained some provisions. After a few days of seat, the small Moldavian garrison goes. The king, then seeing the determination of the Moldavians who were in such under-number, but which had been defended valiantly, allowed them to leave healthy and safe the fortress.

Although many historians dispute the authenticity of this legendary seat, this one keeps an important place in the Rumanian conscience of the XIXe century, and finds a version popular in the news of Costache Negruzzi called Sobieski şi românii ( Sobieski and the Roumanians : the title speaks about itself).

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