14481448–1476 · Târgoviște, Wallachia
Vlad III Dracula, prince of Wallachia
Probably born in Sighișoara and held for years as an Ottoman hostage, Vlad III ruled Wallachia three times between 1448 and 1476. He fought the Ottomans, raiding Mehmed II's camp by night in 1462, and became notorious for impaling enemies, boyars and Saxon merchants. German pamphlets spread tales of his cruelty, Bram Stoker borrowed his name, and many Romanians remember him as a harsh defender.
Sites
- Site 1: Princely Court and Chindia Tower, TârgovișteRuins of the Wallachian princes' palace and the restored watchtower.Map ↗
- Site 2: Poenari CitadelClifftop fortress ruin above the Argeș valley, reached by about 1,480 steps.Map ↗
- Site 3: Vlad Dracul House, SighișoaraThe house in the citadel where he is said to have been born.Map ↗
- Site 4: Snagov MonasteryIsland monastery long claimed, without proof, as his burial place.Map ↗
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More from the Medieval
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