2. was born in 1431 in the fortress
of Sighisoara. His father, Vlad
Dracul, at that time governor of
Transylvania, depending on
who was called by Emperor
Sigismund. Tepes was the
grandson of another great
Roman prince Mircea the Old
(1386-1418).
3. In the winter of 1436-1437,
Dracul became prince of
Wallachia (one of the three
Romanian provinces) and takes
up residence at the palace of
Targoviste, the capital of the
principality.
Vlad Tepes followed his father
and lived six years at the
princely court. In 1442, for
political reasons, Dracula and
his younger brother Radu were
taken hostage by the Sultan
Murad II.
4. Dracula was held in Turkey
until 1448, while his brother
decided to stay there until 1462.
Turkish captivity surely played an
important role in the development
of Dracula. It was a period during
which it adopted a pessimistic
view of life. Turks freed in fact
after the assassination of his
father by Vladislav II, at which
time he learned about the death
of his older brother Mircea, who
had been tortured and buried
alive by the boyars of Targoviste.
5. At 17 years old, Vlad Tepes, supported by a
Turkish cavalery and a contingent of troops
lent to him by Mustafa Hassan, made his
first move to conquer the throne of
Wallachia. But another wish, Vladislav II
was defeated, two months later. In order to
prepare for the conquest throne, Dracula
had to wait until 1456, the year he had the
satisfaction of killing his father's murderer.
6. Now is where Vlad Tepes begins his longest (six
years) who committed many bloody deeds which
earned him a controversial reputation. The first major
act of revenge was to kill the murderers of his father.
Thus, in 1459 he arrested all the boyar families who
had participated in the assassination. Some of them
impaled them, while others forced to walk in the capital
(Targoviste) until Poienari city. Those who survived this
ordeal could not rest until the child reached the
destination. Here Dracula ordered them to build him a
fortress on the ruins of another ancient outpost above
the Arges River. Most noblemen died during the
building of this castle, Dracula thus managing to create
a new blanket noble.
7. In early 1462, Vlad launched a campaign
against the Turks along the Danube. It was very
risky to entrepreneurs so because the Turkish
army of Sultan Mehmed II was far more
powerful.
When Sultan arrived in the capital, he was
greeted by a gruesome sight: the skulls of 20
000 Turkish captives were stuck in Tepe. This
scene was historic horror as "Dracula's
Forest". This tactic of terror, inflicted the
Impaler, had failed because the Sultan and
most of his officers who were very tired and
hungry decided to retire.
8. Vlad Tepes became well known for his brutal
punishment techniques. Very often ordered as
ungodly to be skinned, boiled, decapitated,
blinded, hanged, burned, roasted, buried alive
or impaled. Also liked to cut off noses, ears, or
language. But of all his favorite method was
impalement. I stayed here the name Tepes.
9. There is a legend that attest that his method of
punishing criminals Tepes was effective. It is
said that during his reign a golden cup is the
fountain in the center of Oradea Targoviste,
which served to relieve thirst bystanders.
According to chroniclers cup weather was not
stolen as long as Tepes ruled.
10. In 1476 came the Impaler in Wallachia with
Moldavia and Transylvania. This third reign
only lasted a few months. Vlad was killed in
battle with the Turks. He was beheaded and his
head was taken to Constantinople, as a proof
of his death.
