Basil Alessandri, a Roumanian poet of Venetian origin, born in Moldavia in 1821. He was educated at Jassy and Paris, joined the party of young Roumania, and produced ballads and plays which are popular in Moldo-Wallachia. His principal works have been published at Jassy, Bucharest, and Paris (1852 -'63). After the death of his father he emancipated all his serfs, and his example was followed by nearly 1,000 other serf-holders previous to the act of general emancipation promulgated by Prince Gregory Ghika. In 1859 -'6O he was minister of foreign affairs. He published in French a collection of Ballades et chants populaires de la Roumanie (Paris, 1855).