Page "Culture of Romania" Paragraph 14

The union between Wallachia and Moldavia in 1859 brought a growing consolidation of Romanian life and culture.

Universities were opened in Iaşi and in Bucharest and the number of new cultural establishments grew significantly.

The new prince from 1866 and then King of Romania, Carol I was a devoted king, and he and his wife Elisabeth were among the main patrons of arts.

Of great impact in Romanian literature was the literary circle Junimea, founded by a group of people around the literary critic Titu Maiorescu in 1863.

It published its cultural journal Convorbiri Literare where, among others, Mihai Eminescu, Romania's greatest poet, Ion Creangă, a storyteller of genius, and Ion Luca Caragiale, novelist and the Romania's greatest playwright published most of their works.

During the same period, Nicolae Grigorescu and Ştefan Luchian founded modern Romanian painting ; composer Ciprian Porumbescu was also from this time.