In September 2025, 206 years passed since the birth of one of the most important Romanian writers of the 19th century, Nicolae Filimon. Born on September 6, 1819, in Bucharest, he was the third of five children of Priest Mihai Filimon, parish priest of the Church of Enă, and Maria. Coming from a family deeply connected to the church and local traditions, Nicolae was drawn from an early age to music, theater, and literature, fields that would shape his entire later career.

The Life and Origins of Nicolae Filimon

As a child, he studied at the catechetical school within the courtyard of the Church of Enă under the guidance of teacher Chivu, and also in the homes of prominent logothetes and boyars, such as Scarlat Bărcănescu and Eftimie Răsuceanu, one of the church's trustees. 

Later, he attended the school for church singers run by the Russian monk Vissarion, as well as the singing school associated with Ion Heliade Rădulescu and C. Aristi’s Philharmonic Society. By the age of ten, he became a singer at the Church of Enă, following in his father’s footsteps.

Filimon quickly developed his musical and theatrical skills, becoming one of Romania’s first musical and theatrical chroniclers. In 1831, he was a chorister in Henriette Karl’s troupe and a flutist at Papanicola’s theater, gaining valuable experience that would later influence his writings and artistic analysis.

Professional Career and Cultural Involvement

In 1852, Nicolae Filimon became the trustee of the Church of Enă, a position he held until his death, and also served as a “Conțopist” at the Department of Faith. In 1856, he was promoted to the rank of pitar, and in 1857, he debuted in journalism with music critiques and feuilletons in the newspaper Naționalul. In 1858, he traveled to Western Europe, a journey that inspired his work Excursions in Southern Germany.

Also in 1858, he published the novella Mateo Cipriani under the title “The Dominican Monastery beyond Fiesole Hill” in Naționalul, followed in 1859 by the novella A Porcelain Baroness.

Filimon explored diverse themes, ranging from adventure and travel to social portraits and observations of contemporary life. On September 17, 1859, he was appointed secretary of the Documentary Commission, and a year later, fragments of Three Months Abroad were published in Naționalul, included in Excursions in Southern Germany.

In 1860, he continued publishing novellas and critiques in magazines such as Revista Carpaților and Naționalul, including Friederich Staaps or the Assassination Attempt on Napoleon’s Life at Schönbrunn and Ascanio and Eleonora. Towards the end of the year, he concluded his work as a dramatic and musical chronicler with the review Theater in Bucharest: Il Barbiere di Sevilla, comic melodrama in two acts.

Literary Debut and The Old and New Upstart

Filimon was one of the first Romanian authors to depict social realism through the novel. In 1861, he returned to public attention with the volume Mateo Cipriani, Bergamo and the Servants, and in the same year, published musical and dramatic critiques in Independența, including the review of the operetta Maddalena, with music by A. T. Zisso and French translation by G. Curatolu.

His most significant literary contribution, however, is undoubtedly the novel Ciocoii vechi și noi (The Old and New Upstart), serialized in Revista română by Al. I. Odobescu in 1862 and published in book form in 1863. 

The novel portrays early 19th-century Romanian society, offering portraits of social climbers, political intrigues, and the customs of the time. Through the character Dinu Păturică, Filimon created the archetype of the parvenu, which remains emblematic in Romanian literature.

His experience as a musical and theatrical chronicler allowed him to incorporate detailed observations of Bucharest’s artistic scene, including chapters such as Music and Choreography during Caragea’s Time and Theater in Wallachia and Italiana in Algir. Thus, The Old and New Upstart is not only a realist novel but also a valuable historical document.

Journalism and Contributions to Folklore

Beyond the novel, Nicolae Filimon was a prolific journalist, collaborating with newspapers and magazines such as Țăranul român, Buciumul, and Dâmbovița. In 1864, he resumed his role as trustee of the Church of Enă and continued as a dramatic critic for Buciumul, edited by Cezar Bolliac. In 1865, he published the article Response to the Critique by P.G. Nițescu on Our Musical Review in Monitor no. 285 in Dâmbovița.

Filimon was also passionate about folklore. Some of his works include Banat Dance (Naționalul, 1858), Popular Literature: The Stone Man (Țăranul român, 1862), and Lăutarii and Their Compositions (Buciumul, 1864). He produced translations as well, such as Rachela and Ristori, the First Tragic Actresses at the Paris Exhibition after M.G. Saphir and the four-act lyrical opera Nabuchodonosor (1859).

Death and Posthumous Recognition

Nicolae Filimon passed away on March 19, 1865, succumbing to tuberculosis. He was buried at Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, and his memory has been preserved through his writings, which continue to be studied as foundational examples of modern Romanian literature.

Ion Ghica, a former prime minister and contemporary of Filimon, painted an emotional portrait: “Those who knew him lost a sincere, loyal, and obliging friend, always cheerful and content with the modest earnings of his work and talent; independent in character, never bowing to anyone; he despised lack of dignity and flattery; modest to the point of blushing when praised for his writings, never suspecting that he was a writer of great talent. Literature lost in him one of its brightest stars.”

Nicolae Filimon remains a cornerstone of Romanian literature as the founder of the modern realist novel, the author of a critical social and cultural portrait of his era, and the creator of Dinu Păturică, the quintessential parvenu. His work is both a literary and historical mirror of Bucharest in the 19th century, capturing its intrigues, ambitions, and the beauty of its music and theater.

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