Petru Rareș

"Petru Rareş" redirects here. For the commune, see Petru Rareş, Bistriţa-Năsăud. For the village, see Izvoarele, Giurgiu.

Peter IV Rareș (Romanian: Petru Rareș pronounced [ˈpetru ˈrareʃ] or Petru al IV-lea Rareș; ca. 1487 – 3 September 1546) was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born (probably at Hârlău) to Ștefan cel Mare. His mother was Maria Răreșoaia of Hârlău, whose existence is not historically documented but who is said to have been the wife of a wealthy boyar fish-merchant nicknamed Rareș "rare-haired" (i.e., bald). Rareș thus was not Petru’s actual name but a nickname of his mother’s husband.

Petru exhibited many of his father’s qualities: ambition, daring, bravery, piety, artistic taste. However, he was marked by inconstancy and a lack of political instincts.

It is said that, during this flight, Rareş wandered for two weeks in the impassable forests of Transylvania, with difficulty making his way through spiny vegetation and ancient bushes and trees. Overcome by hunger, thirst, shock and despair, he was seen by a group of fishermen. Since he himself had been a fisherman, he was recognized and they sheltered and cared for him. Once he had recovered, his hosts garbed him in fishermen’s clothes and showed him a shortcut to his citadel.

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