Dracula's Castle – The Legend
I n 1897 Br am St oker wr ot e a t er r i f yi ng st or y about Count Dr acul a. A cent ur y af t er , t her e ar e st i l l peopl e who bel i eve i n i t . Even r esear cher s ar e t r yi ng t o f i nd out t he t r ut h about Dr acul a. Al l ar e t r yi ng t o cl ear t he myst er y: was t her e or wasn' t t her e a vampi r e i n Tr ansyl vani a? St oker ' s st or y i s based on t he l i f e of Vl ad Tepes/ Vl ad t he I mpal er ( 1431- 1476) , a r ul er r ever ed by Romani ans f or st andi ng up t o t he Ot t oman Empi r e. Known as one of t he most dr eadf ul enemi es of t he Tur ks, Vl ad st ar t ed or gani zi ng t he st at e and enf or ci ng t he l aw by appl yi ng deat h penal t y and i mpal i ng al l t hose he consi der ed enemi es: r obber s, cunni ng pr i est s, t r eacher ous nobl emen, beggar s, usur per Saxons. I n f act he f ought agai nst ever ybody who t r i ed t o r epl ace hi m ei t her by hi s st ep br ot her Vl ad t he Monk or by hi s cousi n Dan t he Young. The hi st or i ans ni cknamed hi m Vl ad Tepes whi l e peopl e say he was Count Dr acul a because he used t o si gn wi t h hi s f at her ' s name, Dr acul " The Devi l " . Dr acul a i s der i ved f r om t he Romani an wor d f or devi l or
Son of Vl ad Dr acul ( Kni ght of t he Or der of t he Dr agon- si nce hi s ni ckname Dr acul , meani ng ' dr agon' , ' devi l ' i n Romani an- i n 1431) and Gr andson of Mi r cea t he Gr eat , Ki ng of Wal l ahi a ( 1386- 1418) ď Ž
Prince of Wallachia (1448,1456-1462,1476)
Vl ad Tepes i nt r oduced a ver y st r i ct or der i n Wal l achi a, st r engt hened t he ar my, hel ped t he t r ade wi t h t he nei ghbor i ng count r i es and was mer ci l ess t owar ds t hose who went agai ns t hi m. He adopt ed a t ot al i t ar i an l eader shi p and f ought agai nst The Ot t oman
I t i s sai d t he cast l e bel onged t o Count Dr acul a ( Vl ad Tepes) , but nobody has any pr oof . Vl ad Tepes l i ved onl y f or a shor t t i me i n t he cast l e and onl y as a guest . What i s r eal l y t r ue i s t hat Br an Cast l e conj ur es up t he per f ect Got hi c f ai r y- t al e i mage of a Tr ansyl vani an cast l e and as a r esul t dr aws cr owds of t our i st s f r om f ar and wi de.
BRAN CASTLE IN THE NIGHT
COVER OF STOKER’ S BOOK