Walachia, Transylvania and Moldavia are the three Romanian principalitiesunited in 1859 (Walachia and Moldavia) and in 1918 respectively, Transylvania as consequence of fall of the Hapsburg Empire. December 1, 1918i s the date when the historical destiny of the Romanian people was fulfilled by the creation of the Romanian unitary nation-state.

Before the Second World War, Romania lost important parts of its territory. Moreover, after 1944, concurrently with the Soviet domination, the Allied Powers agreed to impose on Romania an ideology that was alien to its will and traditions, the communist ideology, that was removed 45 years later by a people’s revolt which turned out to be another sacrifice.

Maria Dumitru & Andrei Giurgiu, Age: 10

Maria Dumitru & Ciprian Munteanu, Age: 10,

Vrancea's art is rich and varied. The roots of literature grew up from the chronicles written by Miron Costin and Ion Neculce, in the XV th century. The literature from the 15th to 18th century was primarily religious. The dominant literary form in the 19th century was history and a number of major works promoted the idea of the Latinity of the origins and language of the Romanian people. The major figures of the period where Grigore Alexandrescu, Alexandru Vlahuta, Hortensia Papadat- Bengescu, Duiliu Zamfirescu (the creator of the cyclic romanian novel) and Alecu Russo,that one discovered "Mioritza"="Little Ewe Lamb"-is the most famous folk poem: Where the mountains mate/ There is Eden's gate.../ The most outstanding figures from Vrancea are: Gheorghe Tattarescu, a painter, Ion Mincu, a remarkable architect, Stefan and Gheorghe Longinescu, Anghel Saligni, Simion Mehedinti, men of science.

Vrancea was the link between the three historical regions Moldavia, Muntenia and Transilvania.In 1859, when colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected the common prince of the Muntenia and Moldavia, the center of the Vrancea's county, Focsani became the symbol of the Union.In the first World War, Romanians bravely struggled for their freedom. The Romanian Army fought for each piece of their land. "No one goes further!" was the slogan of the Romanian solders. In Marasesti, Marasti, Soveja they victoriously succeeded to stop their enemy. Several mausoleums were built in order to glory their memory. The people from this region keep in there hearts the image of Ecaterina Teodoroiu,woman solder and the hero child, Maria Zaharia.

Cristi Sebe & Catalina Burga, Age: 11

The peasant HOME INTERIOR DESIGN serves an undeniably aesthetic purpose in any typically Vranceanian ethnographic area; it observes long-established rules, handed down from generation to generation for centuries.Hearts, ovens and stoves are extremely important in any peasant household. The stoves and the ovens are often ornamented with multi-colored enameled tiles whom display not only the geometrical motifs, but also peasant adaptations of decorative patterns of the Renaissance and the Baroquefireplaces. The tools and kitchen utensils, a must in the villagers' everyday life and work, also have an aesthetic value in their home interiors: spoons of various sizes, milking buckets, cottage cheese molds, spindles, reels, weaving looms, the musical instruments, the fourth and largest categoryincludes the agricultural tools and the wooden containers for food.

THE ART OF POTTERY still holds a place apart in the peasants. Vranceanian ceramics boats a brilliant ancient tradition dating as back as the Neolithic era and continuing with the black and red earthenware of the Dacian period, the Greek and Roman style, the Byzantine luxurious designs of the MiddleAges and finally, the influence of Asia Minor.

PAINTING has generally developed to a smaller degree. The portraits of Saints and the Biblical scenes one would normally expect to see are often mingled with lay elements borrowed from the everyday country life and the local folklore. Of particular interest is their iconography, with its characteristic mixture of oriental and Western motifs. If the early icons were painted with the brush, the cartoon was later, especially during the 19th century, discarded, which accounts for the frequent and inscriptions reversals.

METAL was used to inlay various wooden artifacts such as pipes, bagpipes, knives, and axes.

COSTUMES make up one of the most diverse and complex folk arts in Vranceacounty, as they are not just one single artistic "genre", but a combination of crafts, displaying a wide set of raw materials, patterns and techniques: flaxen, hemp, raw silk, cotton and woolen woven materials, embroideries, sheepskin vests and coats decorated with leather appliques or wool andsilk embroideries etc. In the context of clothes and costumes, one should not ignore the ritual MASKS worn on certain holy days; they may be of wood, leather, fabrics, horns, seeds, etc, or a combination of objects and materials. The vigil masks of the Vrancea Land, as well as those from other areas in Moldavia, Maramures and Bihor are quite famous.

At the beginning of the 13th century the Milcovia Diocese was set up with the see somewhere on the site of the town Odobesti, led by Dominican Teodosie, destroyed during the Tartar invasion of 1241.

Focsani is first recorded in 1545. In time, it became a border town between Moldavia and Wallachia. When the two lands united on 24 January 1859 an ttempt was made to establish the capital of the new country there where the first two joint institutions were already functioning.

The ballad "Miorita" which tells how the Romanian people came into being was collected in Soveja in 1853. The most representative memorials to the heroes of the war for reunification of the motherland (1916- 1918), the mausoleums of the Romanian heroes of Marasesti, Marasti, Soveja and Focsani are in Vrancea County. Varnita hosts an memorial to the French soldiers who died in World War I, while in Bordesti and Focsani there are cemeteries of the German soldiers who died at Marasesti in 1917.

Among places of cultural interest there are: The Museum of Vrancea village, The Museum of the Union, Cascada Putnei, natural reserve in Tulnici, The Folk Ensamble of masked dancers in Nereju, The Union Square in Focsani.

The inhabitants of Vrancea county are hospitable open and diligent people who praise their history and love their homeland!

Razvan Neacsu & Cosmin Tanase, Age: 10

After World War I, Nicolae Titulescu dealt with the problems of the home policy of Romania. His democratic views were mostly put into practice- "not at home are noisy, but abroad, where the struggle is hard." His diplomatic activity constituted the main, if not the only aim of Titulescu’s efforts through all the period between the two World Wars. Owing to these quality Titulescu was unanimously considered in the political and diplomatic circles of Europe as one of the most gifted, skilful and sagacious diplomats of Europe between the two wars. He began his diplomatic activity in the second half of the year 1918, as a member of the Romanian National Council created in Paris. As an expression of the gratitude for his work and his tireless struggle devoted to the peaceful Titulescu was elected president of the League of Nations two times consecutively, 1927 and 1928.

As an eminent representative of Romanian foreign policy he was a consistent and remarkable anti-revisionist and anti-fascist militant. Under the gloomy vision of the terrible beginnings of World War II and that of the Hitlerist invasion of the mutilated country, the eminent Romanian statesman who between the two World Wars distinguished himself as one of the greatest diplomats of the world, died at Cannes on the 17th of March 1941.

Nicoleta Toma & Narcisa Stoian, Age: 14

Eduard Giurgea & Cristiana Ignat, Age: 14

Oana Iliescu & Vlad Bobolea, Age: 14