Well, The Real Count Dracula did not exist !! Shocking ? read more...
I was disappointed today to find a video on youtube (I won't link to it but a search on google for The Real Count Dracula would reveal it) with a nice presentation and images from Romania (Braşov , Sighişoara and Poienari Castle ) but a very ...undocumented description by the guys who posted the video. C'mon guys, how can you say that Vlad Dracula "was a minor count in some parts of Transylvania" ?? Are you joking ? First of all Vlad III was NOT a count ! Second, Vlad III Dracula ruled Wallachia, not Transylvania, neither was he a count in Transylvania. And third, it was not minor at all, he was one of the most important rulers in the XV-th century.
Anyway, the video also presents the commercialism around the myth of Dracula, like the Dracula Hotel, presented as Dracula Castle. Anyway, I would also suggest reading the comments
The famous Bran Castle, better know as Dracula's Castle, even if it's connections with Vlad Dracula were scarce, is presented here in a very nice slide show, with medieval music.
The castle has been built in 1377 - 1378, due to an act of Louis of Anjou, conferring the inhabitants of Braşov "the right to erect in Bran a stone fortress with them own effort and money". Placed on a hill that overlooks the old commercial route between Braşov and Câmpulung, the castle was for long used as a custom. Today the castle and it's courtyard shelters the history and medieval museum and the ethnography museum.
French writer of romanian roots, Jean-Loup Sulitzer negiciated with Local Council of Braşov promoting of Dracula brand. For promoting the brand „Dracula Braşov Transilvania”, the Local Council of Braşov had to invest 2% of the total amount and obtain 20% of the income.
"We talk about promoting the legend represented by Dracula worldwide" declared Sulitzer; but did not answer journalists' questions about the estimated income, neither did he answer the questions about the business plan. Sulitzer is under process in France for arms traffic and money washing, and he admited it. He threatened the journalists that he will suit everyone who would dare writing something bad about him.
In 1459 Vlad Dracula engaged in a campaign of terror, so cruel that his name will be remembered over centuries. In fact is in 1457 that he crossed the Carpathians for the first time and punished the Saxons in Mediaş, Sibiu, Braşov. I know no proof that he grouped his troops together in Bran Castle as the documentary mentions. He intended to punish the Saxon merchants in Braşov, medieval Transylvania’s richest and most well defended town. Today’s Braşov gives few clues about the events that unfolded here 550 years ago. What the documentary don’t mention, is that the reason of the attack over the Saxon towns is more complex than simple revenge: they shelter Dan III, pretending Wallachia’s throne. On the Easter week of 1460 Dan III and his troops march through Vlad’s army but gets defeated and gets his head cut off. Vlad‘s attack on the city of Braşov was not an easy one. A huge wall, thick almost 14 feet in some places was surrounding the city. There were bastions at regular intervals. We get acquainted with the medieval fortification system. A multi-level wooden gallery was built on the inner part of the wall. Into the outside walls there are arrow slits and loopholes, that were later been used for canons and for musketry.
Dracula, that grew up in the Saxon town of Sighişoara knows the Saxons very well, as well as them way of fighting. He avoids a frontal attack, instead take them by surprise attacking by night, before they can retread behind the thick walls. Everyone he catches is impaled on the surrounding hills. Thousands died, according to some later Saxon stories. The attack over Braşov inspires the most infamous of the few images of Vlad: the forest of the impaled, with him, Dracula, taking his lunch/dinner in the middle of corpses. However there is proof that he drunk blood or had canibalic acts. Is known the image is an exageration of Germans, that wanted to present Vlad as the Evil in person.
Once Braşov subdued, Vlad turns his attention to the Ottoman Empire. Vlad Dracula is determined to resist the Turks. He concentrates his building efforts on South. He built his palace in Bucharest, on an important commercial route. As the Turks could attack in any moment, he built it in a hurry, with the best specialists available. He took the best stone-masons and approximately 1000 workers to make sure the palace is erected quickly. This is a very functional fortress, opposed to the exotic palace one could expect from Dracula. Later rulers rebuilt and extended it, to reach what we know today as the old court. But hidden in the building’s foundation are clues to its history.
With the country secured by these palaces and castles, Vlad Dracula begins planning for war. In his fortification in Târgovişte he receives a delegation of the Ottomans, claiming for tribute. He refuses to pay the tribute, and ordered the envoys to remove them turbans. When they answer they never remove them turbans he nailed them to them heads so they could really never remove them turbans. After a striking campaign in the winter of 1461 Vlad returns to the safety of his fortification at Târgovişte.
Here is a documentary made by Sky News about Vlad Dracula (Vlad Tepes). It starts with the presentation of Bran Castle, as well as the surrounding area. The very first image (second 8) is a view from Bran Castle over the hills around, the road going to Bran and Moieciu villages. They don's say this in the documentary but looking attentively one could notice a small stone building on the right side of the road, just between the road and the forest. There is a chapel where the heart of Queen Mary (that owned Bran castle) is burried, for a while (there is a similar chapel in Balcic, Bulgaria, where the queen lived). The documentary explains that the castle is not what one could expect: vampires, ghosts, etc. It is just a normal XIII-th century castle. Interview with villagers from the area are interesting. They consider it a great ruler, and it is still known in Romania as a courageous and intelligent principle. Also images from Poienari Castle are presented, as well as how Vlad escaped Turks, but his wife threw herself off the top (I found no proofs to sustain this).
The organizers of Etnovember festival in Braşov, now arrived at XVI-td edition, prepared a marathon of music, photography, poetry, design, architecture and, generally, the medieval spirit of Braşov. The festival will be officially open Saturday, November 17th at 12:00 at the university Transylvania of Braşov, with an exposition of architecture, furniture design, picture, sculpture and photos. The Sunday will be dedicated to the medieval era. I remember Vlad Dracula inhabited in Braşov before seizing the Wallachian throne for his second and longest reign.
Here, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TbEitVbyF0 is a short Documentary I found about Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracula). Short History and origins of Dracula are presented as well as places where he lived: Braşov city, main city in Transylvania, where Vlad lived before taking the throne of Wallachia. Then it continues presenting Bran Castle, near Braşov presented to tourists as Dracula's Castle. The rulers in that parts where controlling trade, as well as territory. While they present Bran Castle as the Transylvanian Castle closest to Bucharest, I'd say Râşnov Castle, also in Transylvania is closer, at least for driving. While they say Bram Stoker, the novelist that made Dracula so famous, never visited Transylvania, there are good probabilities he did (proofs can be brought in order to sustain this).
Then we enjoy images from Sighişoara, birth place of Vlad the Impaler. Also the reporter went to Poienari Castle that can be considered Dracula's Castle, as well as to Pasul Tihuta, to visit hotel Castle Dracula.
I'd like to mention that Vlad Dracula was NOT "a minor Count in a different part of Transylvania " as the guy who posted the video states, but be was the ruler of Wallachia, in three times during the XV-th century. And he was all but "minor".
Dracula's Castle as Bran Castle is known is for sale! With an estimated price of 140 m. Euro, the medieval castle is the second most expensive property worldwide, according to a recent top made by "Forbes". The castle lies 30 km away from Brasov City, South-Eastern Transylvania, in the heart of Romania. The first place in the list is occupied by a property in Beverly Hills that belonged to William Randolph Hearst. Forbes notes that the castle is being sold by Baytree Capital, in the name of Dominic de Habsburg, son of princess Ileana of Romania, that received the castle back from the Romanian government.
However, in September, the Chamber of Deputies accepted the report of a commission that established the given-back of the Bran Castle has not been done to the right persons (there is an argue about who has the rights to receive the castle), therefore all papers being declared non-valid. Lower of the House of Habsburg, Corin Trandafir considers the decision of the deputies a political one and intends to ask for compensation of 150 m. euro.
the last part of the documentary about Transylvania continues with the storyof Dr. Honigberger, then presents Braşov City, with it's 800 years old history. A typical village, in the middle of Transylvania, is then presented. (I'm almost sure the village is Buneşti, near Viscri).
I ends with a very nice lessons about history, self-knowledge, and the beauty of life. we need to thank Victor Rebengiuc for this documentary made in cooperation with Kmigths of Mediaş order
People's mentality in middle ages, domintated by the permanent threats of the Evil as well as the simbol of Lyon as opposer of the Evil (represented by the Devil), are presented in this sixth episode.The Devil's representations were threatening and infernal. We are presented the St. Michael church in Cluj, the first example of hall church in Transylvania. The church was attracting all social classes: the beggars were lamenting showing them wounds and handicaps, while the big noblemen and rich people were exposing them jeweleries and luxurious clothes. The medieval town of Sibiu (European Capital of Culture in 2007) is then presented, big and powerfull. Its walls, large and solid are very well fortified, with thick towers and an water moat surrounding it all around, except for the East. Is the image about Sibiu given five centuries ago by Nicholaus Olahus, nobleman archbishop and diplomat.The misterious and ocult life of Dr. Hinigberger is then presented.
Printing in medieval ages, the quality of prints during Gutemberg, as well as it's evolution is presented in this part of the Transylvania Documentary. Also, the Transylvania in the XVIth century, with all the problems derived from the proclamation as autonomous principality (like internal fights for power, etc). The knighting ceremony is led by a bishop, who was blessing the sword of the future knight. But on the battlefield this was much more glorious. Codlea citadel, near Braşov, is presented. It has been unsuccesfully besieged by a captain of Vlad Dracula, that was punished by impaling. Făgăraş citadel , at the foothills of the mountains, was like a small dukedom, the Făgăraş noblemen obeying the castleman as them ruler. The besiege of Făgăraş was led by Dracula itself. The walls of Prejmer are about 5 meters thick at the bottom. On the inside there are a lot of rooms, connected by porches and small balconies. The altar in Evangelical Church of Mediaş, with Austrian and Deutch influences presents bible scenes that were educating people in the middle ages.
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