Petar Parchevich
Encyclopedia
Petar Parchevich or Petar Mihaylov Parchev (Петър Михайлов Парчев) (c. 1612–23 July 1674) was a Bulgarian
Roman Catholic
archbishop
, diplomat
, scholar, baron
of Austria
and one of the architects behind the anti-Ottoman
Chiprovtsi Uprising
.
A native of Chiprovtsi
and one of Bulgaria's most educated people of the 17th century, Parchevich was among the leaders of the Bulgarian Catholics
. His numerous diplomatic visits to the royal courts of Europe were mostly in an attempt to garner support for an anti-Ottoman uprising in Bulgaria, which he did not live to witness. Nevertheless, his efforts in defending Christianity
earned him a noble title from the Austrian emperors, and he took up several important positions within the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical hierarchy
.
roots and being the ancestral house of the House of Pejačević
, a notable and distinguished Croatian
noble family in the 18th and 19th century. Chiprovtsi was then Catholic-populated town in the northwestern Bulgarian lands under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In the 17th century, Chiprovtsi was a rich merchant town in its cultural heyday. Like many Bulgarians from Chiprovtsi at the time, Parchevich was sent to be educated in Italy
. Having studied in Rome
and Loreto, he returned to Bulgaria in 1643 as a doctor of theology
and canon law
, which made him one of the most educated Bulgarians of his age.
Upon his return, Parchevich engaged in diplomacy with the ultimate goal of ensuring the Liberation of Bulgaria
from Ottoman rule. Receiving papal
support, Parchevich visited the royal courts of Europe
and advocated the formation of an anti-Ottoman alliance which would drive out the Ottoman Turks from the Balkans
. Parchevich was received by the courts of the Austrian Empire
, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Republic of Venice
, the principalities of Wallachia
and Moldavia, and Pope Innocent X
himself. There, he requested backing for an anti-Ottoman campaign which would lead to the liberation of the Balkans, and "most of all, of the great Bulgarian Empire
".
Parchevich made several visits to Poland, such as once in 1647, when he was met by Władysław IV Vasa
, and once in late 1649, when he was received by the new king John II Casimir Vasa. In his speech before the Senate of Venice from 1650, Parchevich referred to the "unbearable Ottoman yoke" and told of the Bulgarian people's long struggle against the Ottomans. After meeting with Innocent and persuading the pope that Bulgaria could collect an army of 20,000 for an anti-Ottoman campaign, Parchevich remained in Rome until the spring of 1651.
(named after an Ancient Roman
city near modern Devnya
, northeastern Bulgaria). Along with the Diocese of Nicopoli
headed by Filip Stanislavov, Marcianopolis was one of the two sees which succeeded the Bulgarian Custody as the governing body of Catholicism in Bulgaria. Parchevich also held the position of Bulgarian internuncio
to the Viennese
court. In 1661, Parchevich had to step down as Archbishop of Marcianopolis due to pressure from Rome, which condemned his clerical inactivity, though in 1668 he became apostolic vicar
to Moldavia
despite continuing suspicion.
By the mid-1650s, Parchevich had entered major European politics and was the central figure of a significant anti-Ottoman plot. In 1656, Parchevich arranged a meeting in Târgovişte
between the members of the plot, which included the rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia and high-ranking clerics, including the Patriarch of Serbia
. After the meeting, Parchevich sent revolutionary messages to Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Greece
, hoping to incite a rebellion. His plans were backed by the rulers of the Romanian
lands which border Bulgaria north of the Danube
: Gheorghe Ştefan
of Moldavia and Constantin Şerban
of Wallachia. However, the lack of clear support by key accomplice Austria meant an eventual uprising had to be delayed. In 1657, Parchevich was received by Cossack
hetman
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
, whom he visited on a special mission. In the same year, he was granted the noble title of baron by the Habsburgs owing to his merits in defending Christianity. As an Austrian noble, he was styled Peter Freiherr
von Parchevich.
In spite of Parchevich's efforts, conditions would not be favourable to a Bulgarian anti-Ottoman uprising until well after his death. While on a diplomatic mission to Pope Clement X
, he died of illness in Rome in the summer of 1674 and was buried at the Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
basilica in the city. Parchevich's letters and reports have been preserved and are an important source of information regarding his activities.
and Shumen
. A Catholic football club known as SK Parchevich was founded in Plovdiv
in 1923 and later merged into what is today PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
. One of the neighbourhoods of the mostly Catholic-populated town of Rakovski
in Plovdiv Province
is also known as Parchevich. In addition, three schools, in Plovdiv, Rakovski and Chiprovtsi, are named after him, as is a community centre (chitalishte
) in the Banat Bulgarian
village of Asenovo, Pleven Province
. Parchevich Ridge
in the Breznik Heights
on Greenwich Island
of the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica, also bears his name thanks to the efforts of the Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria.
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, scholar, baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
of Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and one of the architects behind the anti-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Chiprovtsi Uprising
Chiprovtsi Uprising
The Chiprovtsi Uprising was an uprising against Ottoman rule organized in northwestern Bulgaria by Roman Catholic Bulgarians, but also involving many Eastern Orthodox Christians...
.
A native of Chiprovtsi
Chiprovtsi
Chiprovtsi is a small town and municipality in northwestern Bulgaria, administratively part of Montana Province. It lies on the shores of the river Ogosta in the western Balkan Mountains, very close to the Bulgarian-Serbian border...
and one of Bulgaria's most educated people of the 17th century, Parchevich was among the leaders of the Bulgarian Catholics
Roman Catholicism in Bulgaria
Roman Catholicism is the third largest religious congregation in Bulgaria, after Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. It has roots in the country since the Middle Ages and is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.As an entity, the Catholic...
. His numerous diplomatic visits to the royal courts of Europe were mostly in an attempt to garner support for an anti-Ottoman uprising in Bulgaria, which he did not live to witness. Nevertheless, his efforts in defending Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
earned him a noble title from the Austrian emperors, and he took up several important positions within the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical hierarchy
Catholic Church hierarchy
The term Hierarchy in the Catholic Church has a variety of related usages. Literally, "holy government", the term is employed in different instances. There is a Hierarchy of Truths, which refers to the levels of solemnity of the official teaching of the faith...
.
Education and early diplomacy
Petar Parchevich was born circa 1612 in Chiprovtsi to an influential Parchevich (Parčević) family, having CroatianCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
roots and being the ancestral house of the House of Pejačević
House of Pejačević
The Pejačević or Pejácsevich family is an old Croatian noble family, remarkable during the period in history marked by the Ottoman war in the Kingdom of Croatia in the Union with Hungary and Austro-Hungarian Empire respectively. Notable members of the family were politicians, clerics, artists,...
, a notable and distinguished Croatian
Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)
The Kingdom of Croatia was an administrative division that existed between 1527 and 1868 within the Habsburg Monarchy . The Kingdom was a part of the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen, but was subject to direct Imperial Austrian rule for significant periods of time, including its final years...
noble family in the 18th and 19th century. Chiprovtsi was then Catholic-populated town in the northwestern Bulgarian lands under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In the 17th century, Chiprovtsi was a rich merchant town in its cultural heyday. Like many Bulgarians from Chiprovtsi at the time, Parchevich was sent to be educated in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Having studied in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Loreto, he returned to Bulgaria in 1643 as a doctor of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, which made him one of the most educated Bulgarians of his age.
Upon his return, Parchevich engaged in diplomacy with the ultimate goal of ensuring the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
from Ottoman rule. Receiving papal
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
support, Parchevich visited the royal courts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and advocated the formation of an anti-Ottoman alliance which would drive out the Ottoman Turks from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. Parchevich was received by the courts of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, the principalities of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and Moldavia, and Pope Innocent X
Pope Innocent X
Pope Innocent X , born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj , was Pope from 1644 to 1655. Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Innocent IX, he graduated from the Collegio Romano and followed a conventional cursus honorum, following his uncle...
himself. There, he requested backing for an anti-Ottoman campaign which would lead to the liberation of the Balkans, and "most of all, of the great Bulgarian Empire
Bulgarian Empire
Bulgarian Empire is a term used to describe two periods in the medieval history of Bulgaria, during which it acted as a key regional power in Europe in general and in Southeastern Europe in particular, rivalling Byzantium...
".
Parchevich made several visits to Poland, such as once in 1647, when he was met by Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa was a Polish and Swedish prince from the House of Vasa. He reigned as King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 8 November 1632 to his death in 1648....
, and once in late 1649, when he was received by the new king John II Casimir Vasa. In his speech before the Senate of Venice from 1650, Parchevich referred to the "unbearable Ottoman yoke" and told of the Bulgarian people's long struggle against the Ottomans. After meeting with Innocent and persuading the pope that Bulgaria could collect an army of 20,000 for an anti-Ottoman campaign, Parchevich remained in Rome until the spring of 1651.
Archbishop, major diplomat and baron
In 1658, Parchevich was appointed head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of MarcianopolisMarcianopolis
Marcianopolis or Marcianople was an ancient Roman city in Thracia. It was located at the site of modern day Devnya, Bulgaria.-History:...
(named after an Ancient Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
city near modern Devnya
Devnya
Devnya is a town in Varna Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, located about 25 km away to the west from the city of Varna and The Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Devnya Municipality...
, northeastern Bulgaria). Along with the Diocese of Nicopoli
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicopoli
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicopoli is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite, which includes the whole Northern part of Bulgaria. The seat of the episcopal see is in Rousse, although the diocese is named after Nikopol...
headed by Filip Stanislavov, Marcianopolis was one of the two sees which succeeded the Bulgarian Custody as the governing body of Catholicism in Bulgaria. Parchevich also held the position of Bulgarian internuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
court. In 1661, Parchevich had to step down as Archbishop of Marcianopolis due to pressure from Rome, which condemned his clerical inactivity, though in 1668 he became apostolic vicar
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
to Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
despite continuing suspicion.
By the mid-1650s, Parchevich had entered major European politics and was the central figure of a significant anti-Ottoman plot. In 1656, Parchevich arranged a meeting in Târgovişte
Târgoviste
Târgoviște is a city in the Dâmbovița county of Romania. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River. , it had an estimated population of 89,000. One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.-Name:...
between the members of the plot, which included the rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia and high-ranking clerics, including the Patriarch of Serbia
Patriarch of Serbia
This is a list of the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Peć and the Serbs from the creation of the church as an archdiocese in 1219 to today's Patriarchate. The list includes all the Archbishops and Patriarchs that led the Serbian Orthodox community under Patriarchate of Peć...
. After the meeting, Parchevich sent revolutionary messages to Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Greece
Ottoman Greece
Most of Greece gradually became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century until its declaration of independence in 1821, a historical period also known as Tourkokratia ....
, hoping to incite a rebellion. His plans were backed by the rulers of the Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
lands which border Bulgaria north of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
: Gheorghe Ştefan
Gheorghe Stefan
Gheorghe Ştefan was Voivode of Moldavia between April 13 and May 8, 1653, and again from July 16, 1653 to March 13, 1658; he was the son of boyar Dumitraşcu Ceaur; Gheorghe Ştefan was Chancellor during the reign of Vasile Lupu.-Biography:Citing Vasile's reliance on his Greek and Levantine retinue,...
of Moldavia and Constantin Şerban
Constantin Serban
Constantin Şerban was Prince of Wallachia between 1654 and 1658, illegitimate son to Radu Şerban .-Reign:...
of Wallachia. However, the lack of clear support by key accomplice Austria meant an eventual uprising had to be delayed. In 1657, Parchevich was received by Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky was a hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates which resulted in the creation of a Cossack state...
, whom he visited on a special mission. In the same year, he was granted the noble title of baron by the Habsburgs owing to his merits in defending Christianity. As an Austrian noble, he was styled Peter Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
von Parchevich.
In spite of Parchevich's efforts, conditions would not be favourable to a Bulgarian anti-Ottoman uprising until well after his death. While on a diplomatic mission to Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X , born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was Pope from 29 April 1670 to 22 July 1676.-Early life:Emilio Altieri was born in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...
, he died of illness in Rome in the summer of 1674 and was buried at the Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a 17th-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. Andrew. The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Andreae Apostoli de Hortis is Ennio Antonelli....
basilica in the city. Parchevich's letters and reports have been preserved and are an important source of information regarding his activities.
Honours
Various institutions around Bulgaria have been named after Petar Parchevich, including streets in the capital SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and Shumen
Shumen
Shumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
. A Catholic football club known as SK Parchevich was founded in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
in 1923 and later merged into what is today PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv...
. One of the neighbourhoods of the mostly Catholic-populated town of Rakovski
Rakovski (town)
Rakovski is a town in southern Bulgaria, in the historical region of Thrace. It is located in the Plovdiv Province. The town is also the centre of the Rakovski Municipality. Rakovski was founded in 1966 with the merging of three villages — General Nikolaevo, Sekirovo and Parchevich...
in Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
is also known as Parchevich. In addition, three schools, in Plovdiv, Rakovski and Chiprovtsi, are named after him, as is a community centre (chitalishte
Chitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
) in the Banat Bulgarian
Banat Bulgarians
The Banat Bulgarians are a distinct Bulgarian minority group which settled in the 18th century in the region of the Banat, which was then ruled by the Habsburgs and after World War I was divided between Romania, Serbia, and Hungary...
village of Asenovo, Pleven Province
Asenovo, Pleven Province
Asenovo is a village in northern Bulgaria, part of Nikopol municipality, Pleven Province. It was founded in 1892 by Roman Catholic 203 households of Banat Bulgarians returning to Bulgaria from the Banat...
. Parchevich Ridge
Parchevich Ridge
Parchevich Ridge is a partly ice-free ridge of elevation 370 m situated in Breznik Heights north of Hardy Cove, 690 m south of Benkovski Nunatak, and 1.7 km southwest of Santa Cruz Point on Greenwich Island, Antarctica. Surmounting Hardy Cove to the southwest and Gruev Cove to the...
in the Breznik Heights
Breznik Heights
Breznik Heights rises to over 600 m in the southeast part of Greenwich Island. They extend 12 km between Santa Cruz Point in the north east and the base of the moraine spit at the mouth of Yankee Harbour in the southwest...
on Greenwich Island
Greenwich Island (South Shetland Islands)
Greenwich Island is an island long and from wide, lying between Robert Island and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area...
of the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica, also bears his name thanks to the efforts of the Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria.