Bucharest has always been a city of contrasts, where luxury and excess coexisted with ambition and the desire for social recognition. In the first decades of the 19th century, the capital was beginning to take the shape of a lively fashionable world, where the local aristocracy displayed its wealth and influence. In this universe of lavish parties and duels for honor, a particular figure stood out: Scarlat Bărcănescu, considered by historians to be the first “rich playboy” of Bucharest. The life of Scarlat Bărcănescu illustrates an era in which wealth and social rank offered considerable freedoms, but did not also guarantee the respect of others. The young nobleman lived intensely, driven by passions and by the desire to impress, yet his destiny was marked both by spectacular adventures and by moments of disgrace that permanently damaged his reputation.

Boyar Bucharest and the appearance of the first carefree rich youths

At the beginning of the 19th century, Bucharest was a city in transformation. The local boyars were adopting Western habits, and influences coming from the great European capitals were becoming increasingly visible in the lifestyle of the elite. Luxurious carriages, clothes ordered from abroad, and extravagant parties had become symbols of social status.

In this context appeared Scarlat Bărcănescu, a young man coming from a high-ranking family. His father was the district administrator of Prahova County, which ensured him a privileged position in society. Nevertheless, instead of pursuing an administrative or political career, Scarlat preferred an adventurous and responsibility-free life.

Historian Adrian Majuru describes him as a typical character of the category of wealthy young men without a clear occupation, attracted by amusements and nightlife. If today such characters display luxury automobiles in front of clubs, Scarlat Bărcănescu impressed the public with elegant carriages brought from Vienna or Berlin.

These vehicles were driven by Russian coachmen dressed in green liveries, whose task was to clear the road and remove anyone who stood in their way. The appearance of the young nobleman thus became a spectacle in itself, meant to underline his privileged status.

Scarlat was a constant presence in the taverns of Bucharest, especially in those from the Cișmigiu area. There he organized noisy parties, generously supplied with brandy, where he displayed his adventurous spirit and his desire to live without limits.

Duels and turbulent loves

From adolescence, Scarlat Bărcănescu stood out through his impulsive nature. During the time when he was a student at Saint Sava, he used to provoke duels for the smallest reasons, especially when it was about a young lady who attracted his attention.

Duels represented at that time an accepted way of defending honor, but in Scarlat’s case they had become almost an amusement. The young nobleman had built a reputation as a seducer and adventurer, being frequently involved in conflicts caused by romantic rivalries.

His fame reached its peak in the year 1816, during the reign of Ioan Gheorghe Caragea. At that time, Scarlat fell in love with Elena, also known as Elenchi Caragea, a young woman from an influential boyar family.

The problem was that Elena had already been promised to the logothete Ion Bălăceanu, the son of Ban Constantin Bălăceanu. Despite the opposition of the families, Scarlat decided to act in a way that would shock the entire Bucharest society.

On the night of the wedding, the two young people fled together, in a gesture that was interpreted by some as proof of romantic courage and by others as a scandalous challenge to social norms.

The abduction was spectacular. According to accounts of the time, Scarlat fired pistol shots toward the abandoned groom, although nobody was injured. Then the lovers left for Bărcănești, near Ploiești, where the young nobleman allegedly forced a priest to marry them.

The scandal was enormous, and the Caragea family considered the act an unforgivable insult.

Revenge and bloody duels

Elena’s brother, Iancu Caragea, swore to avenge the honor of the family. He was known as a formidable fighter, skilled in handling weapons. Paradoxically, one of his close companions was Dumitrache Bărcănescu, Scarlat’s brother.

The two young men were famous for their passion for weapons and for their extravagant style. Ion Ghica described them as men who never missed an opportunity to dress in oriental costumes, with baggy trousers, mintan and cepken, carrying pistols and yataghans at their belts.

The atmosphere of the era was tense, but conflicts were postponed for a time. The movement of Tudor Vladimirescu and the strict measures later imposed by Prince Grigore IV Ghica contributed to maintaining a relative calm.

Eventually, in 1827, the old hostility erupted. At a party, Iancu Caragea and Dumitrache Bărcănescu quarreled, and the dispute turned into a duel.

The confrontation ended tragically. The two shot at each other and died, leaving behind a society shocked by the loss of two young noblemen. Their funerals became an impressive event attended by many inhabitants of Bucharest.

The duel from which Scarlat fled

Although in his youth he had shown himself eager to defend his honor with weapons, Scarlat Bărcănescu would permanently lose his reputation in an episode that became famous.

Everything began after the young nobleman wrote a defamatory pamphlet about the Austrian consul Herr von Liehmann. The text circulated during a ball and stirred the diplomat’s indignation.

Feeling insulted, the consul challenged Scarlat to a duel. The confrontation was supposed to take place in Scufa’s Garden, a place well known in Bucharest for such encounters.

High society of the capital awaited the duel with anticipation, convinced that it would witness a spectacular confrontation. However, Scarlat Bărcănescu never appeared.

His absence was interpreted as an act of cowardice, and his reputation was destroyed. In a society in which honor was considered essential, fleeing from a duel was unforgivable.

His gesture has remained until today a classic example of lack of courage, strongly contrasting with the image of the bold adventurer that he had previously cultivated.

Decline and life in the shadows

After the episode of the failed duel, Scarlat Bărcănescu lost his influence in aristocratic circles. Friends avoided him, and boyar families no longer regarded him with respect.

Left without prestige, the former rake of Bucharest gradually disappeared from fashionable life. He was no longer involved in scandals and no longer attracted the attention of society.

The fate of Elena Caragea remains unclear. Historians believe that she did not find happiness alongside Scarlat and that in the following years she withdrew from fashionable society.

Instead, the Bărcănescu family regained its reputation through Ecaterina Bărcănescu, the wife of the district administrator of Prahova County. She organized the first classical music concerts in Bucharest.

In her salons could be heard works by the great European composers such as Händel, Bach, or Rameau, bringing an air of refinement to a city marked by conflicts and duels.

Thus, while Scarlat fell into oblivion, the name of his family became once again associated with culture and elegance.

A fascinating character of old Bucharest

The story of Scarlat Bărcănescu reflects one of the lesser-known faces of boyar Bucharest. His life was marked by strong contrasts: luxurious parties and scandals, passionate loves and bloody duels, apparent courage and proven cowardice.

Almost two centuries after his adventures, Scarlat remains a fascinating and controversial figure. He can be considered the symbol of a generation of privileged young people who lived without worries but often paid the price for their excesses.

His history shows how fragile glory and reputation can be. From luxurious carriages and brilliant parties to final isolation, the destiny of Scarlat Bărcănescu demonstrates that wealth and rank cannot compensate for lack of character.

In a way, his story seems surprisingly current. Even today there are people who live only for pleasures, without understanding that apparent success can disappear quickly.

Scarlat Bărcănescu thus remains not only a picturesque character of old Bucharest, but also a lesson about the fleeting nature of glory and about the consequences of recklessness. 

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