Mihai Eminescu is considered one of the most important poets of the Romanian language, and is cherished as a national poet in both Romania and Moldova. His works were indebted to the Romanticism of Western European poetry, but placed an emphasis on his own national allegiances.
During a time of great revolutionary conquests, Eminescu achieved attract the love of life and the beauty while he was surrounded by the representatives of the oppressing classes, the bourgeois and the looter’s populace whom established the capitalist exploitation in Romania.
The itinerary (Source: modify from Gmaps)
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
The hometown and childhood of Eminescu was between the cities of Botoşani and Ipoteşti with a total freedom of movement and contact with the Romanian peasant neighborhood and nature.
One of the main sources of inspiration for several poems of Mihai Eminescu was the “Lacul cu Nuferi” in Baisa forest in Botoşani town. The waterlily lake is such an inspirational place where thoughts and feelings in contact with nature run free.
Lacul Cu Nuferari (Source: Botosaneanul)
Another inspirational place for the writer was the Stâncesti Dacian Fortress, located at 4km West from Botoşani with a surface of 50 hectares. Is one of the fortified complex formed by two Thracian Getae citadels from VI to III centuries B.C.
Stâncesti Dacian Fortress (Source: Info Turism Moldova)
Was an ideal scape place for long walks in contact with nature to attract the beauty of freedom and nature, the peasant town and the landscape of his homeland.
Eminescu started to have direct contact with his second hometown Ipoteşti starting at 1863 when leaving secondary school, he moved to the family house next to his parents. This town is just 11km far from Botoşani. Here we can find the house of Eminescu, “Casa Memoriala Mihai Eminescu”.
Casa Memoriala Mihai Eminescu (Source: Wikipedia)
The real house was demolished in 1924, then in 1934 was rebuilt in the same place (although it was rebuilt twice in 1940 and 1979 for security terms). In 2000 the house was opened to the public, decorated with furniture valued in late 19th century (so the period Eminescu’s family where living).
Mihai Eminescu spent his school time in the city of Cernâuți (actual Chernivtsi in Ukraine). In 1858 he studied the 3rd and 4th year of primary school being the fifth out of 82 disciples. After autumn of 1860 Eminescu joined high school at “Gimnaziul de Stat Chezaro-Crâiesc din Cernâuți”. Nevertheless, he only stayed in school after April of 1863 when he went back to Ipoteşti to his parent’s house.
Mihai Eminescu School in Cernâuți (Source: Wikipedia)
Nowadays the school is called “Mihai Eminescu”, although the origins date back to December 1808 when was inaugurated as “Gimnaziul de Stat Chezaro-Crâiesc din Cernâuți”.
Eminescu joined high school in 1860 until 1863, when he decided to leave school and come back to his residence in Ipoteşti. It wasn’t until 1866 that Eminescu came back to high school due to the death of an old teacher, Aron Pumnul, there he composed his first poem dedicated to his teacher writing a funeral Ode which was published with another six in a brochure called “Lăcrămioarele invăţăceilor gimnaziaşti”.
At the high school we can find a commemorative plaque of Mihai Eminescu to the poet dating his academic year from 1860 to 1863.
Commemorative plaque of Mihai Eminescu in "Mihai Eminescu" school (Source: Wordrpress)
YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE AND WORK
In 1866 Eminescu starts to collaborate with the magazine “Familia” from Budapest writing poems (by this time the director of the magazine, Iosif Vulcan, change the original name of the writer, Mihail Eminovici, to the artistic one – Mihai Eminescu). The actual magazine was founded in Budapest in 1865 by Iosif Vulcan but in 1880 was transferred to Oradea where is currently working. The actual address of the magazine is Piața 1 Decembrie nr 12, Oradea.
Familia magazine cover page (Source: Revista Familia)
Actual office of "Famila's" magazine in Oradea (Source: Revista Familia)
Thanks to his period of formation in “Familia” magazine, Eminescu starts to surround himself into theatre until he decides to join “Pascaly” theatre (the actual National Theatre of Bucharest) company working as a speaker – this period will be marked as the époque of knowledge into the Romanian population, the culture and the language.
In 1868 Eminescu starts his tour from May to September with Pascaly company around Transilvania: Braşov, Sibiu, Lugoj, Timişoara, Arad, Oravița and Baziaş.
After all this journey period Eminescu starts to work as a prompter at the National Theatre of Bucharest, in 1869 the destinations of Moldova and Bukovina are attributed to him.
National Theatre of Bucharest from above (Source: Deposite Photos)
Sculpture "Caruta cu Paiate" at the National Theatre of Bucharest (Source: Wikipedia)
In front of the National Theatre of Bucharest you can find the sculpture, shown above, called "Caruta cu Paiate" - a tribute to the playwright Ion Luca Caragiale featuring characters of Caragiale plays.
In this period of 1869 through Moldova and Bukovina, Eminescu goes through Botoşani again retaking the contact with his family and his father offers him to study in Viena in the Faculty of Philosophy (although Mihai Eminescu didn’t finish his studies, he attended to lessons in Philosophy as a listener).
Between 1870 and 1874 Eminescu spends his life between Iaşi, Viena and Berlin writing and publishing poems and novels collaborating with the magazine “Convorbiri Literare”.
In 1874 he finishes his PHD in Philosophy and is named director of the Central University Library of Iaşi, a year later he acts as a substitute in the Academic Institution of Iaşi and he’s named school inspector in the regions of Iaşi and Vaslui.
The Central University Library of Iaşi is located in Strada Pâcurari 4, outside the center of Iaşi.
Central University Library of Iaşi outside view (Source: Allnumis)
The inside Library of the Central University of Iaşi (Source: Pinterest)
In 1863 some foreign-educated personalities of the University started a new movement of literary society called “Junimea” mainly created by Titu Maiorescu who established the basis of the modern Romanian culture. In 1867 the association was created and started publishing its own literary review called “Convorbiri Literare” where Eminescu joined them in 1870 publishing his poems.
The headquarter of Junimea association was in Pogor Memorial House, the actual Romanian Literature Museum located in Bulevardul Carol I / Strada Vasile Pogor in Iaşi.
Pogor Memorial House from outside (Source: Wikimedia)
LAST YEARS OF LIFE
In 1876, Eminescu gives a lecture of a poem in Bucharest where he meets Mite Kremnitz and starts collaborating with the magazine “Curierul de Iaşi”.
In 1877 Eminescu moves to Bucharest and starts working at drafting’s department from the journal “Timpul” and keeps creating and publishing series of poems and attending to meetings and conferences. In 1880 he promotes as a redaction boss, year of great journalistic activity until 1883 when he resigns his job as redactor in “Timpul” and his sickness starts.
Eminescu falls ill and he’s admitted in the Sanatorium of Suțu doctor for a while and later he moves to the Sanatorium of Over-Döbling near to Viena where he recovers.
In November 1886 Eminescu is interned for 5 months in the monastery of Neamț, after he came back to his native town Botoşani with his sister Harieta.
Monastery of Neamț in Bucovina (Source: Explore Bucovina)
In 1888 Eminescu goes back to Bucharest to take over the direction of “Fîntîna Blanduziei” magazine. In February 1889 he suffers a relapse of his sickness and is interned again at Suțu hospital where he stays until his death – 15th June 1889.