Foreign Travelers in the Romanian Lands and the Symbolism of the Borders (1710-1810)

Abstract

In the present study, we are generally looking at the way in which the realities of the Romanian space were captured through travel reports drawn up by foreigners who crossed the Romanian Countries. Foreign travelers crossing the Romanian Principalities come mostly from Western and Northern Europe. Also, their presence in Romanian space is due to the political, military and economic duties received from the states that sent them. When approaching the Romanian Countries, the voyagers note a few things, namely: the militarized border, the customs, the quarantine and the army, the customs officials and the passport. A border with so many elements of identification does not exist between the Romanian Countries and the Ottoman Empire. From this perspective, the Romanian Lands appeared to the vast majority of foreigners as part of the Ottoman Empire. Also, travelers are optimistic about the transition to Transylvania and with suspicion and mistrust of the crossing to Moldavia and Wallachia.