Showing posts with label Sighisoara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sighisoara. Show all posts

04 April 2012

Sighisoara - old pictures

Well, while we cannot have pictures from the medieval Sighișoara, we can definitely enjoy this images from 100 years ago with the fortified citadel. The layout of the fortified town was characteristic to the German towns from the late middle-ages. Let's not forget that the first documentary attestation of Sighișoara is from 1291, under the name Castrum Sex ("the town on the hill").

23 October 2007

Documentary about Vlad Dracula

Third party of the documentary speaks about the medieval town of Sighişoara, the house where Dracula was born in 1430 - 1431, his strange relation with John Hunyadi, governor of Hungary and ruler of Transylvania, a hero of Christian World. Hunyadi's castle in Hunedoara is also presented, with it's gothic architecture and his evolution in time. The legend explains history of Iancu of Hunedoara (John Hunyadi) by him, killing with an arrow ravens that steal his royal ring. Therefore the Hungarian kind decided to give him the lands around Hunedoara, as well as put the raven on John's coat of arms.
Then we can see the ruins of Vlad's princely court in Târgovişte, his first residence as Wallachian ruler. Chindia Tower is also to be seen near the ruins. While is true what the documentary mentions, that Vlad's punishment methods are similar to the one use during middle-ages by other rulers like Ivan Third, Luis 11th, Families of Visconti, Sforza and Borgia, Richard IIIrd or The Inquisition. However I'd say the punishments of Dracula spread allover Europe because he exposed them, he used terror to impose law and order in Wallachia. Is unbelievable people were used to this, were watching this "spectacles" with a strange joy, satisfaction and happiness.
While we are not sure about how Vlad Dracula died, the theory presented (his killing by one of his men) could be true, but there are no proofs to sustain this.


22 October 2007

Transylvania Documentary Movie

Here is the second part of the documentary about Transylvania
starts with the presentation of the cemetery of Sighişoara, in the heart of Transylvania, "unknown , but full of magic, mystery and superstitions".

A brief presentation of Bram Stoker's novel follows. Even if the inhabitants did not hear about Dracula the vampire, the vampires are well-known here in Transylvania. They area said to bring a lot of harm: after killing them own relatives, they call the other vilagers from the bell-tower of the church, so the villagers die suddenly. Very interesting is the comparison of vampire's killing with a steak thru it's hears, the same way St. George killed the dragon with a spear. Interesting because, indeed, in Transylvania I also noticed a lot of representations of this fight, cuminating with the 1373 bronze-cast statue, representation of the endless confrontation between Good and Evil, dragons, Lucifer's warriors, oposing God's Angels

While is true the merchants spread the legends about Vlad Dracula, is supposed that Matthias Corvinus contributed actively to this, in order to explain Pope why he didn't support Dracula in his fight against the Turks. Although in Rome and Venice Vlad Ţepeş was considered a hero of Christianity (due to his victories against the Ottoman Empire) the stories begun to "catch some roots", people start to believe this histories and exagerations.

This part of the documentary ends with a panoramic view of Sighişoara.


The first part is here

21 October 2007

In Transylvania, on the tracks of Dracula

Well, I found this very nice documentary about Transylvania made by Kogaion Film and a romanian director, Pascal Ilie Virgil. Bran Castle is presented as well as his lack of connections with Stoker's story. Than we focus our attention on the town of Bistriţa, in the North.
One can also admire images from Fagaras Castle, (seconds 50 - 65), Sighişoara (Vlad Dracula's birth place), Braşov City (Dracula lived here between his first and his second reign) with the old council square and the Black Church.
Also images from the place of Poienari Castle - the Real Dracula Castle.


27 June 2007

Dracula Souvenir or Dracula Kitsch ?

While visiting Sighisoara I spot this cups and I couldn't resist the temptation to take some photo:





The kitsch is a danger that appears in all the tourist places (and Sighisoara is such a touristic place).

I think that if Vlad the Impaler looked like this it could only make the people laugh, not scare at all. At least I was rolling on the floor laughing where I cut this photo from a bigger one.








and another cup of...Vlad Dracula:
(poor guy, too much lipstick)





and another one, green of fury:




and the asian Dracula:




An the winner is......



19 June 2007

The Blacksmiths' Tower, Sighisoara

The Blacksmiths' Tower, Sighisoara


The Blacksmiths' Tower is one of the 14 defending towers protecting the medieval town.


(c) April 2007 - dracula-transylvania.blogspot.com



One can see the shooting windows on the upper part and the way the tower is emerging from the defending wall.

Interesting archaeological research revealed some great detailed design can be viewed at http://www.cimec.ro/Arheologie/CronicaCA2001/web_cronica_foto/187/index.htm The one to the left is looking at the tower nearly from the same angle as this photo.

Also check my images of the Tinkers' Tower in Sighişoara

17 June 2007

Sighisoara Tinkers' Tower

Sighisoara towers



As mentioned in a previous post about Sighisoara, the old medieval town was protected by 14 defending towers, all given in care to different castes.
Tinkers' Tower, still standing today is a strange building. Built on a triangular base, the tower has a pentagonal shape, with the upper part having an octagonal shape. The exact date when construction started is unknown, however what we know is that important consolidation work has been done in 1583.

Here is a photo of the tower taken by myself in April 2007.

10 June 2007

Dracula related places -Sighisoara, Bran Castle, Targoviste

Places related to the story of Vlad Dracula


Understanding the real life of Vlad Dracula means also contextualizing the facts, trying to imagine him in the medieval age, with people, habits, culture and the places of that age. Therefore this corner presents that places, at least what is still existing today.

SIGHIŞOARA - the medieval town


Sighisoara is the birth place of Vlad III, and the place where the future Dracula spent it's childhood. Have a look at this posts to have a better image of Sighisoara:



Poienari Castle



If we know today that Bran Castle can hardly be connected with Vlad III Dracula, than which is the real Dracula Castle ?


Targsor Prahova

is less known as being connected with the myth of Dracula, therefore is the less touristy of all Dracula places.



Medieval Saxon Citadels


A great cultural heritage of Transylvania are the medieval citadels and fortified churches. Few people know, but there are about 1000 middle-age fortifications in Romania.

In April number National Geographic Romania published some great images aiming reconstitue the way this fortification looked.

Snagov Monastery


Vlad Tepes' buildings: Snagov, Comana, Târgovişte, Poienari, Bucharest Old Court

Slide-show presenting Snagov Monastery and Lake

Photos of Sighisoara

Photos of Sighisoara



While visiting Sighisoara few weeks ago, I took some photo in the town where Vlad III (that later took the name of Vlad Dracula) was born and spent it's childhood !

This is how people was dressed in the XVth century, they are just in front of the house where Vlad Dracula was born:




Stairs are always fascinating me, especially stairs of Sighisoara. Besides the well-known covered stair, going uphill where the schools is, there are equally fascinating.



The Clock Tower of Sighisoara is the symbol of the town and meantime one of the most beautiful medieval buildings in Eastern Europe. Now the clock tower acts as museum and from the top of it one can admire the whole medieval town as well as the surrounding area. Objects from the medieval age, as well as a smal hall dedicated to Hermann Oberth (1894-1989), founder of astronautics adn inventor of the first rocket are to be seen.

07 May 2007

Medieval Saxon Citadels

In the April 2007 number, National Geographic Romania publised two very interesting related articles, featuring the medieval Transylvania: one about the saxin citadels, and one about Medieval Sibiu.
The saxon fortifications are presented in a very nice graphical presentation by Radu Oltean. Medieval towns as well as fortified churches are presented here. One can admire the XIII-th century peasants churches of Câlnic, Prejmer, Cisnadioara and the fortified church in Biertan, but also the graphical representation of Medias, Brasov or Sighisoara.

Here you can admire some photos from this great article.

07 March 2007

Informative video about Dracula

I found this very nice short documentary about Dracula:


While is true that Vlad did not live in Bran Castle, the rest of the documentary is correct and I recommend it for having a first idea about Vlad III - Dracula !

The narrator says about Snagov Monastery: "there is no way to get there but by boat", however in the winter of 2005 I guided two American photographers there and passed on the ice covering the whole lake! Also the villagers in the movie don't look like Gypsy (as he says) :). Maybe one of them is the guy that walked next to us in the winter and took the biggest risk of an ice crash. (he was fishing in the lake).
Also there are very intense controversial about Snagov Monastery being the place where the body of Vlad the Impaler is buried.

25 February 2007

The Real Life of Vlad The Impaler – Dracula

Life of Vlad The Impaler Dracula - the Childhood



By most probabilities, Vlad was born in Sighisoara, in the year 1431, presumably November or December. As explained in this post describing briefly Vlad Dracul’s life, 1431 is very probable the year of his birth. And as his father Vlad II (Dracul) was in Sighisoara by that time, running one of the state’s mints, is very probably that he was born in Sighisoara in the house still standing today near the clock tower (you can see it in this picture that I took in march 2004 in Sighisoara).

There is no much information about the childhood of Vlad III but we know how young princes were educated at that time. There was a “preceptor”, usually an important boyar to take care of them education. This one was searching for them masters of arms, equitation, etc. In the Germanic world as Sighisoara was in the 15th century there was an emphasis put on “the seven skills”: equitation, swimming, using arms, the arch, fighting, the court life and the tournament. We can easily suppose that Vlad Dracul, after receiving this kind of education himself at Sigismund’s Court wanted his sons to be educated in the same manner.
Doubtless equitation was the main activity, as the horse was the universal transport modality, as well as the close friend of the warriors. Learning horse riding at the Wallach court was going in parallel with the fights on-horse, or the “harta” – term used then for the hunting parties.

About theoretical skills we can suppose that Vlad didn’t know writing at most he was able to read. That’s because we don’t have letters written by him, neither signatures nor any other proofs. Slavonic was the language used for writing at that time in Romanian countries. However, official correspondence with Saxon towns in Transylvania was sometimes done in Latin Language. We don’t know if Vlad was in knowledge of this language, however we knew he was speaking Turkish after his stay by the Ottoman court.

In 1436 Vlad Dracul took the throne of Wallachia and his children went along with him in Târgoviste. Here the boys get in contact with what princely court life means. He gets in touch with the Princely Court’s ceremonial, with all the political intrigues of the boyars, become conscious of the fragility of the Wallachia’s Throne and of the Wallachia as a state itself, facing Hungary and The Ottoman Empire. Both Mircea (first son of Vlad Dracul) and Vlad seems to have been strongly influenced by the record of Mircea the Elder, them grandfather, although they haven’t seen him alive.

The teenage of Vlad is presented in this post.

24 February 2007

Sighisoara Medieval Town

Here I found a short movie made from the Clock Tower in Sighisoara, birth town of Vlad III, Dracula
If interested, here there is a presentation of the medieval Sighisoara , the town where Vlad lived his early ages.

Sighisoara ,Medieval Town Of Romania :view From The Watch Tower -

21 February 2007

Images from Sighisoara Medieval Town

This video compilation is a slideshow with images from what is considered not only by Romanians as the most beautiful medieval town in Central and Eastern Europe – Sighisoara, the birth place of Vlad III Dracula.


The slide-show starts with images of the Clock Tower, the symbol of the medieval town (seconds 6 – 19, 178 - 180) then continues with images from the street turning left from the opposite side of the main square, (seconds 20 – 40) , images of the middle age houses still inhabited.


Image of the house where Vlad Dracul lived from 1431 to1436 are to be seen at seconds 84 - 97, but one can also notice the stair going uphill, the gateways, the church on the hill.


Also the statue of Vlad Tepes (Dracula) , the orthodox cathedral, the Saxon graveyard on top of the hill.

Pictures of Legenda guesthouse (used by outdoor holidays in it's tours in Transylvania) anbd of Burg Hostel are also presented.

The remaining towers from Sighisoara defending system can also be seen (the image at 08:29 – 09:20 are taken from the clock tower), as well as an overview of the old and of the new town.



Enjoy:

15 February 2007

Sighişoara - birth place of Vlad III Dracula

Sighişoara in the medieval era


Before presenting Dracula’s life I think it would be interesting to have an idea about the nice town he lived in: Sighisoara. Attested for the first time in 1280 under the name of Castrum Seg (the town on the hill – in Hungarian Seg means hill). Although I encountered many times the name of Castrum Sex, I prefer to use Castrum Seg (sincerely I haven’t seen the original document). From which Segsburg and the actual German name Schassburg, with the same meaning, the town on the hill. Is easily understandable the name, as it is really placed on a small hill, near Târnava River. One would have to climb the clock tower to have a perfect view of the geography of the place. Even the Romanian name seems to come from the Hungarian name (Segesvár)



Fourteen square towers were placed on the wall protecting the citadel. A second defending wall has been built around the lower town by the end of the XIVth century.
During Vlad‘s life the town was counting about 2000 inhabitants, so much fewer than Braşov (6000) and Sibiu (4000). The first official census, dates from the end of the XVth century. Sighişoara was sheltering 638 families, so about 3000 inhabitants. The majority of them were Saxons (hospites in Latin), 600 families.


The inhabitants were organized in guilds (bresle in Romanian). Each guild was having it's own tower. They were shoe-makers, coopers, goldsmiths, tinsmiths, spurs-makers, woodcarvers, leather dressers, butchers, carpenters, etc. Nowadays some of the towers are still preserved, and, more than this, still inhabited.




The town was being governed by a local judge, with power over the 16 neighboring communities forming the Stuhl (headquarter of the justice).The judge was seconded by the mayor and the local council (formed of 12 wise old-men). The population was speaking one of the Germanic dialects called Saxons. This was common to the 35 villages around, grouped in three ecclesiastic communities.



What characterized the Saxons in the 240 German villages is Transylvania is although the clothes they used to wear. As mentioned by Dávid FRÖLICH in Medulla Geographiae Practicae (1639) the men’s clothes are almost identical to the Hungarians’, except the men like larger clothes. The sacerdotes were using a purple coat, a blue or red belt, a dark-color cape called “reverenda”. The women were wearing tight clothes, with the shoulders uncovered.



A short video from a parade of middle-age wearing in Sighisoara is to be seen here:
The quality of the video is not the best, but at least we can have an idea: