Abstract
A document from mid-18th century, recently analyzed by Magdalena Székely (2002) brings to light some unexpected clarifications of a situation preceding with more than two centuries the context described by the document. It mentions a donation of 1551 by voivode Ilias Rares, the son of voivode Petru Rares to the Voronet monastery (a foundation of Stephen the Great). Ilias gave to the said monastery half of the village Costana, in Suceava County, with a watermill, for the memory and religious services for the soul of Petru Vartic the hetman. There is known that, even Vartic was executed on the order of voivode Ilias in 1648, he was buried in the church of Voronet monastery. The donation is given as a gesture of reconciliation towards the aristocracy of the country, to prove the attachment of the voivode to the orthodox faith, as Ilias Rares was suspected by the aristocrats and the higher clergy that he intended to go Constantinople to convert to Islam.