Viteazul

Viteazul is a Romanian epithet meaning "the Brave" and is most commonly associated with Mihai Viteazul, also known as Mihai the Brave, a 16th- to early 17th-century ruler of Wallachia. Mihai Viteazul (c. 1555–1601) reigned in Wallachia from 1593 until his death in 1601. In 1600 he led a campaign that briefly united the three principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under his rule, an event often cited as an early step toward Romanian unification. The union was not lasting; after his death the territories returned to separate rulers and to Ottoman suzerainty.

Historically, Viteazul is seen as a symbol of resistance against foreign domination and of attempts to forge a single polity in the region. In Romanian historiography and folklore, Mihai Viteazul is celebrated as a national hero who pursued independence and territorial unity, even if the political project did not endure. His life has entered popular culture through literature and cinema, most famously in the 1971 epic film Mihai Viteazul, directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu and featuring Amza Pellea in the title role.

Today, the name Viteazul continues to appear in Romanian cultural and commemorative contexts, evocative of bravery and national unity.