DRACULA

    Vlad Tepes was born in 1431 in a house from Sighisoara that still keeps an evidence of his birth, an inscription. Vlad Tepes, of the Draculesti family, was the grandson of the great Romanian ruler Mircea cel Batran (1386-1418). His father, Vlad Dracul, member of the Order of the Dragon, became in 1436 Prince of Wallachia, the capital was at Targoviste. In 1442 Vlad along his younger brother, Radu, were taken prisoners by the Turks for political reasons; he remained in prison until 1448.

At 17 years Vlad Tepes along with a Turkish army tried to take over the power in Wallachia, but he was defeated by Vladislav the II^nd. In 1456 he obtained the throne and he ruled for six years.  

One of the legends about Vlad Tepes, is connected to the punishment of those involved in his father death: those who took part at this had to walk from Targoviste to Poienari and here to build a fortress for the Prince.

Vlad Tepes was known by his subjects as a cruel, but just ruler. His cruelty was the consequence of the sufferings and horrors endured during his life. Also many of torture methods that he used were taken over from the Turks (like the impaling).

It is said that during his reign a cup of gold was at the fountain in the centre of the town of Targoviste, that served the passers-by for drinking. According to the chroniclers of the time the cup was not stolen during Tepes`s reign. 

In 1462 he obtained several victories against the Turks, but in the end he was defeated; he took refuge in Hungary, at Visegrad, but Matei Corvin arrested him. At the insistence of Stefan cel Mare he was freed, in 1476, after 13 years of imprisonment and established as ruler of Wallachia. This didn`t last long, a few months from that he was killed. 

The places with which Dracula`s name is connected are the Monastery of Snagov, near Bucharest where Vlad Tepes seems to have been buried and the Bran Castle near Brasov. The Poienari Castle, the real residence of the Prince, is an important place in the creation of the legend.