Although the first mention of Count Dracula in the novel of Bram Stoker – “Dracula” (1897), Stoker was not the man who invented this name. The original Dracula lived in the fifteenth century, was not Earl, but the prince was not a vampire (and nor was it ever popular tradition associated with these beings). His name was Vlad Tepes, and Stoker knew nothing about the historical character, but has found a name in the books you study ( “On the principalities of Wallachia and Moldova, 1820), where there was a brief mention of Prince Dracula and fight its against the Turks. What attracted Stoker’s attention was the name of an author’s note which stated that “Dracula” in Romanian means devil and although he intended to appoint the character “Count Wampyr” the name “Dracula” was thought be more appropriate.
Over time, historical character came to be increasingly confused with the literary, though it is not likely that Stoker was Vlad Tepes as a model in creating his hero. Count Dracula was not the first vampire in the history of literature – vampires existed in folklore for hundreds of years, and Stoker used various information about local legends of Transylvania, as the English literature of the nineteenth century.

The character of Dracula was born after passing into eternity of Prince Roman, a hallucination, a picture that has been publicized since 1488, starting with those German horror stories, illustrated with xylographs. Since then, the vampire at such terrible picture of a canvas as spider webbing that Vlad struggles, real historical character. Dragon was more common reason families that have three fangs Bathory family, and Elizabeth, Countess bloody, turned the castle Chetniks, in north-western Hungary, a butcher, killing young girls for use in rejuvenating blood or other magical rituals. He did everything possible for these crimes to be assigned all of Dracula. Hence, and from other elements of folklore, Vlad Tepes Dracula, infigatorul in Tepe, became a famous vampire from Transylvania prince XV century. Exaggeration was due to his cruelty but that belonged to ecclesiastical orders Benedictine, Capuchin and others who refused subordination to the laws of the country. They took refuge in the German lands, where they created horror stories in which “straighten ill” translates as “cruel”. A monk, named James, seems to be the author of the manuscript found in 1462 in the monastery of Saint Galin in Switzerland, the oldest document of the campaign anti-Dracula. The manuscript had a major impact on the German world.

Popular legends have finally restored historical truth. Vlad Tepes brings to us as a living character, just and haloed in glory. Fighting Crusaders against the Turks, led by John Hunyadi, was disbanded after his death in 1456. But in the winter of 1461 provided a challenge to even the Impaler falnicului conqueror of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II. Danubian campaigns, which have held up in late summer 1462, they raised a large valve, which brought admiration throughout Europe for tactics and strategy of Vlad Tepes, as well as for his deeds of bravery. Echoes of those battles have been reported from the official documents of the time, but writers both Russia and the Germans have remained silent on it, for reasons easy to understand.

The Truth About Dracula

Vlad Tepes was born in 1431 in Sighisoara. His father, Vlad Dracul, at that time was governor of Transylvania, depending on who was called by Emperor Sigismund. Tepes was a grandson of another great Roman prince: Mircea the Old (1386-1418).
In the winter of 1436-1437, Vlad Dracul became prince of Wallachia and takes up residence in Targoviste, capital of the principality. Impaler has followed his father and lived six years at the princely court. In 1442, for political reasons, Vlad and his younger brother Radu were taken hostage by the Sultan Murad II and remained in Turkey until 1448, 1462 respectively. Released after the assassination of his father by Vladislav II, Vlad Tepes was about death elder brother Mircea, who had been tortured and buried alive by the boyars in Targoviste.
In 17 years, Vlad Tepes, supported by the Turks try to conquer the throne of Wallachia, but another willing, Vladislav II, we win. In 1456, the Impaler make another attempt, this time successful, and now is when he starts his longest (six years) in which he committed many bloody deeds which brought him a controversial reputation. His first major act of revenge was to kill the murderers of his father. Thus, in 1459 he arrested all the boyar families who participated in the assassination – some of them take impalement, while others forced to walk from the capital (Targoviste) to Poenari, where they built a fortress on the ruins of another old outpost above the Arges River. As most noblemen died in these circumstances, the Impaler and has created a new blanket noble.
Vlad Tepes became well known because of his brutal punishment techniques: nelegiuitii were skinned, boiled, decapitated, blinded, hanged, burned, fried, buried alive or impalement – the latter being the method from which the nickname Tepes.
In early 1462, Vlad Tepes has launched a campaign against the Turks along the Danube, succeeding in 1462 only to get wins and I horrified the Turks. To avenge the Sultan Mehmet decided to invade Wallachia, to transform it into Turkish province. He entered Wallachia with an army three times larger than that of the Impaler. Under the circumstances, and without any allies, Vlad was forced to withdraw from Targoviste. Mehmed left the second part of the battle to Vlad’s younger brother Radu, the Turkish favorite Wallachian throne. He pursued the Impaler to Poenari castle, on the banks of the Arges river. According to legend, this is where Vlad’s wife, not to be captured by the Turks, committed suicide by hurling themselves from the rocks. Vlad, in turn, managed to escape using a secret passageway in the mountain. Helped by some peasants, he took refuge in the village Arefu and came here in Transylvania where he met the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. It instead help him, arrested and imprisoned at Visegrad. Vlad Tepes stayed for twelve years in Hungary, while his brother Radu ruled Wallachia as a puppet of the Turks. After the first four years, Tepes was allowed to move in a house. To win the goodwill of the royal family, he and his sister married the king (other sources). He became a Catholic, which had been her delight Catholic Hungarians.
In 1476 came the Impaler in Wallachia with Moldova and Transylvania. It was third reign lasted only a few months. Vlad was killed on the battlefield, a new battle with the Turks. He was beheaded and his head and was taken to Constantinople, as a proof of his death. Although there is clear evidence, it appears that the body was buried at Tepes Snagov Monastery near Bucharest.
Those wishing to know more about Dracula can visit places of great significance for his life, mentioned in history or in works of fiction: Castle Mountains Birgit, Sighisoara (medieval castle which was the house where he grew Dracula) Castle Bran ruins Poienari (rebuilt by Vlad Dracula), the Royal Palace and the Tower Chindia Tirgoviste (capital of the country during the reign of Vlad Dracul), Snagov Monastery near Bucharest (where he was buried Vlad Dracula), Vlad’s palace ruins in Bucharest (Old Court).

BRAN CASTLE

Located 30 km from Brasov, between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului, Bran Castle is an important national monument and landmark of tourism in Romania, due to both its beauty, the landscape, and the legend of Count Dracula.
The first documentary attestation of Bran Castle is the act issued on November 19 1377 by Ludovic I D’Anjou town of Brasov the privilege to build the city, the King II subject 13 localities. Management Bran Fortress was lord of a castle who had also jurisdictional attributions permanent garrison was composed of archers and ballisters. Between 1419-1424, the city is in possession of Sigismund, because at the end of the fifteenth century to be under the authority Szeklers Committee, responsible for defense of southern Transylvania, and the time of John Hunyadi to pass under the Principality of Transylvania .
On December 1, 1920 the City Council of Brasov donated the Bran Castle to Queen Marie, as a sign of gratitude for her contribution to the Greater Union of December 1, 1918.
Between 1920 1927, Bran Castle was restored under the Royal Court architect, Carol Liman, you turn into a beautiful summer residence, surrounded by park with promenade alleys, lake, fountains, and halt terraces and built tea house. In 1938, Queen Marie left with will the Bran Castle whole her daughter, Princess Ileana, the mastery of him until 1948.
After expulsion from the country the royal family in 1948, the Bran Castle became the property of the Romanian state, remaining a period abandoned and devastated. Since 1956 the Castle was opened as a museum of history and feudal art. Being in an advanced state of decay, in 1987 the castle comes into restoration, finished work broadly in 1993.

FORTRESS POENARI

The ruins of this city, attributed by tradition Prince Vlad Tepes, the keys are found in Arges. Known as the City Poenari – after the ancient name of the village Poenari – it was probably built in the XIV century, as a refuge. The popular tradition links the name of the legendary ruler of the city building Negru Voda and although yet unidentified, site could be, according to some researchers, Posada and the famous 1330 battle which took place between mountain and armies of King Charles I d’Anjou. Citadel had an elongated, 2-3 meters thick walls and defensive towers 5: four round and one prismatic. Although in the “Chronicle Cantacuzin” says the city was built on the order of Vlad Tepes, it seems that this story is only related to the restoration or expanding them further.
In the second half of the sixteenth century, the city is not mentioned in the documents – perhaps abandoned or destroyed, she slowly fell into ruin. Currently is in restoration. A concrete staircase rising from the foot of the mountain, the road, to ruins, from the heights can be seen Lake Vidraru with its hydroelectric dam and in the distance, and lands Iezerului Fagaras peaks and dolls.

Royal Court (Targoviste)

Princely Court in Targoviste was first mentioned during Michael’s son associated with the reign of Mircea the Old. Sacked and burned by the Turks many times, it was rebuilt and enlarged by the rulers of Vlad Tepes, Petru Cercel, Matei Basarab, Constantin Brancoveanu. The beauty of the building and prospering the city Targoviste could compare great cities of the time, but years of tribulation, wars and fires destroyed most of the building which formed the whole royal court. The monuments remained until today, written documents, and other evidence of past centuries can lead to reconstitute his appearance since then.
Royal house (now ruined) was made up of two buildings, proper construction of the two epochs: the time of Mircea the Old and the time of Peter Earring. Moving the national capital in 1584 in Targoviste Romanian Petru Cercel gave the house a royal palace look bright, with roof tiles enameled in various colors. Fountains and landscaped gardens on terraces on the slope from Ialomita were similar to those found in Europe at that time, the courts ruling and Petru Cercel apartments were full of fast and wealth. In time of Matei Basarab has built a corridor that connected the two bodies of buildings, giving a royal house look even bigger. Constantin Brâncoveanu the royal court almost entirely rebuilt, adding a arbor royal house, overlapped the old building. Princely Church is part of the same set high and was built by Petru Cercel, decorated and painted in command of Constantin Brancoveanu. On the west wall unfolds a real process (the largest and complete, in fact) of princes mountaineers. Deeply embedded within the wall, a shot gun which testifies to Wars necrutatoarelor had to cope Targoviste.
Small royal church, probably built in the XVI century, has largely kept its original appearance. It has ornaments and ceramic discs oldest porch, built along with the church. The building in the churchyard, intended for asylum and hospital, was built by Balasa lady, wife of Constantin Serban Carnu.

Royal Court (BUCHAREST)

Royal Court of Bucharest was built in the fifteenth century, on the order of Vlad Tepessi was rebuilt in the mid XVI century by Mircea Shepherd. This royal residence will become the core of Bucharest in the sixteenth century, focusing her entire life around the capital.
The royal court in Bucharest has raised the battle flag Ottoman Michael the Brave. Burnt by the Turks during the fighting in 1595 – when Mr move residence in Targoviste, where she will return definitively in 1659 – the royal residence will be completely rebuilt by Matei Basarab.
Welcome to seat the Romanian Country, Constantin Brancoveanu give the courts a great shine. Build a royal house, a residence of Mrs, rooms of wall to guard, as the royal bath. Main Gate entrance was provided with a guard tower. Devastation of fire, destroyed by earthquakes, ranging in rank from the Austro-Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774, it reached the royal residence uninhabitable. Thus, Alexander Ypsilanti is required to build a new royal court in 1775 in Hill Spirii – New Court. After its construction, the buildings of the old courtyard, reached the state of ruin, were known as the Old Court.
Currently, the buildings located on its perimeter (including the famous Tavern’s Inn, built in 1808) were restored, joining the foundation of Mircea Shepherd, preserved today and the church known as “Old Court”. Edifice bears the seal of the reigns of Gregory Ghica, Serban Cantacuzino, Constantin Brancoveanu. Beauty or gateway dates from the time of Stefan Voda Cantacuzino. From ancient paintings (made on request sons Mircea Shepherd and, later, of Serban Cantacuzino) have left only fragments. Currently, the architectural complex is to restore the Old Court.