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Serban Cantacuzino (1640-1688) was a voivode of Wallachia in Romania between 1678 and 1688.
He served under the Turks in the siege of Vienna when they were defeated. It is alleged that he conceived the plan of marching on Constantinople to drive the Turks out of Europe, the western powers having promised him their moral support.
In the midst of his preparations he died suddenly, poisoned, it is said, by the boyars who were afraid of his vast plans. Far more important was his activity in economic and literary directions. He introduced maize into Romania that became staple food of the country.
He founded the first Romanian school in Bucharest. He assisted liberally in the establishment of various printing offices, and under his auspices the famous Romanian Bible appeared in Bucharest in 1688.
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