April 27, 2007 (Nine O'Clock) -- Better known as the site of the trial and execution of the Ceausescus in December 1989, the town of Targoviste is one of Romania’s foremost historic locations. The capital of Wallachia for approx. three centuries, Tagoviste also hosted the residence of 33 rulers, from Mircea cel Batran to Constantin Brancoveanu. 

Probably one of the reasons for its selection as Wallachia’s administrative centre was its strategic location, on the main trade route connecting Wallachia to Transylvania and the Balkan Peninsula. Initially, it operated as a secondary capital (with Curtea de Arges as the main one), to become the only capital city most likely under Alexandru Aldea (1431-1436), historians believe. At present some 90,000 people live in the town.

The Targoviste Castle - history and tours

The town of Targoviste is approx. two hours’ drive from Bucharest. The road passes the Racari locality, where tourists can visit the Ghica Estate, founded in mid-19th Century, and the Mausoleum Chapel, a masterpiece of religious architecture, with marble sculpture works. Once in Targoviste, tourists can check in and then dedicate their time to a rich tourism programme, in a city imbued with history. Rooms are easy to find in hotels, villas and boarding houses.

Visitors can start with a trip to the Royal Court Museum Complex, one of the major tourism sites in the town.

The Royal Court

The three-century long capital city status entailed a quite dynamic social and economic development for the town and the region. The progress concentrated around the Royal Court, an architectural complex erected in the 15th to 17th Centuries. Ruler Mircea cel Batran is the founder of the royal residence, with construction works launched around 1400 and finalized in 1476. He is also the founder of the first royal residence and ordered the construction of the first towers.

1393 - first mention in official documents

The oldest reference to the Targoviste settlement was found in a document by a Bavarian Crusade fighter, Hans Schiltberger, who took part in the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, and noted that Wallachia had two capital cities, Agrich and Turkoich. Important details on what the Royal Court looked like in the 16th Century are provided by Francesco della Valle of Padua, who visited the city in 1532, and by Pierre Lescalopier, who passed through Targoviste in 1574.

The museum includes the Royal Residence, the Great Royal Church, the Small Royal Church and the Chindia Tower. Only the ruins can now be seen of the Royal Residence, its gardens and fountains. The Great Royal Church still boasts its frescoes with portraits of Wallachian rulers, and a cannonball stuck in its walls, in testimony of past wars. In the Small Royal Church, visitors can see interesting pottery work and the oldest church porch in the country, built concurrently with the church in the 16th Century.

The "Dracula" Tower

Standing out in the museum complex, the Chindia Tower was built during the rule of Vlad the Impaler, better known today as the inspiration for the fictional character Dracula. The tower was erected during his second rule (1456-1462) and had multiple functions: a fort element, a watchtower, a repository for the State treasury, an access gate to the city. The main role of the construction was the military, defence role, although it served concurrently as a watchtower, a prison and a repository. The tower is built of red brick, shaped as a cylinder and having a pyramid-shaped stone basis. It is over 27-metre high, with a nine-metre diameter. The tower overlooks the church porch dating back to Mircea cel Batran’s times. The upper platform is accessed through a flight of 122 stairs. The building has a door opening directly to the royal residence, via a mobile skyway.

Ruler Matei Basarab (1632-1654) renovates the entire complex, particularly the tower, doubles the inner walls and builds a Turkish bath. In 1660, ruler Gheorghe Ghica orders the demolition of the Targoviste residence, on orders from the Ottoman Sublime Port. Constantin Brancoveanu is the ruler who has the royal residence reconstructed (between 1692 and 1696). After his death, the capital of Wallachia will be moved. The most important restoration works on the Chindia Tower are carried out in mid-19th Century. The operation is particularly important, as not only was the complex overhauled, but also the initial architecture was substantially modified. The latest restoration works in the complex were reported in 1961, further to an initiative by the Directorate for Historic Sites, with only superficial repairs carried out since.

At present, the Chindia Tower is a museum, hosting an exhibition dedicated to the two reigns of Vlad the Impaler. This is a fortunate case; other sites of this type have not been adequately preserved to be able to host museums. Thus, history fans have an opportunity to come in touch with their forefathers’ heritage and to experience unique feelings. Unfortunately, the museum is ever more seldom visited by Romanian tourists; many of those who still come here are foreigners.

Which would not be a problem, if visitors were at all familiar with the history of Vlad the Impaler. But more often than not, they are only attracted here by the Dracula legend. Equally serious is that the locals take advantage of it and manufacture and sell kitsch items tying the ruler to the vampire. Apart from the Royal Court, Targoviste hosts a Museum of old Romanian print work and manuscripts, presenting printings which date back to rulers Serban Cantacuzino, Constantin Brancoveanu, Matei Basarab and Vasile Lupu.

Michael the Brave’s head

Stelea Monastery (the Reconciliation Monastery) and the Metropolitan Church are other sites to visit in the town of Targoviste, highly praised as historic and religious architecture masterworks. Near Targoviste is the Dealu Monastery, seen as one of the best architectural works in Romania. Ruler Michael the Brave’s head was buried in a vault here, under white marble blocks, after he was murdered in Campia Turzii.Viforata Monastery is only three km away. The monastery, built in the mid-15th Century, presents a beautiful medieval art collection, whose masterpiece is a gilded silver icon of St. George.

Trips and sites in the area

The town may be a starting point for trips to other tourism sites. In the south, visitors may drive five km on DN72, to Caianu locality. Take a left there and, after six km on the communal road, you reach Vacaresti. In the locality you can visit the Vacaresti Lake and the vestiges of the Vacaresti boyar estate. From Caianu, visitors may choose to continue on DN72 to Gaesti, and from there on DN61 to Petresti. Between Petresti and Visina there is a natural daffodil reserve, where rare and highly valuable varieties can be seen. Once in Petresti, visitors may drive approx. 18 km on DN61, to Corbii Mari locality, where there is another natural reserve - Izvoarele de la Corbii Ciungi. The reserve is regarded as one of the richest in the Romanian Plains, with flora and fauna species rather common to northern regions, and with many protected and endangered species.

East of Targoviste, on DN72, tourists will find the Bucsani locality with its wisent reserve. If they don’t want to visit the reserve, they can always go farther on DN72 to I.L. Caragiale, which hosts the playwright’s Memorial House.

Mountaineers may set out on DN71 from Targoviste northwards. Within kilometers, there are the Vulcana-Bai and Pucioasa spas, where accommodation facilities (primarily villas - Carpati, Poienita, Liliac, Miorita) can be found. Pucioasa is just 20 km from Moroeni, on DN71. This locality is the boundary of the Bucegi National Park. In the Bucegi Park in Dambovita County, there are as many as nine natural reserves: Orzea-Zanoaga, Zanoaga-Lucacila, Cheile Tatarului, Laptici, Cocora, Poiana Horoaba, Poiana Crucii, Pestera Ratei, Plaiul Hotilor. Apart from their scientific and environmental value, these reserves are priceless tourism sites, and they may offer more than a weekend route. Accommodation facilities, mostly cottages, are within reach from Moroeni (Scropoasa, Bolboci, Padina) all the way north to Babele.

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Posted by Vladimir Tue, 05/08/2007 - 15:09

 

Why vampires have fangs

You're cover-shopping at the bookstore. If you're lucky there's a horror section: otherwise, you may be in sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or that wondrous catchall, "novels." You want to find vampire books, of course. Other than the word "vampire" in the title, what will tip you off? You look at the cover paintings.

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Oderint dum metuant...

Here upon the mark we stand
Moving upon a mysterious current
Weeping and laughing away the day
Until only shall we slumber

If you should stumble along the marvelous path
And claw your way across the stones
Let is not matter that your flesh rips clean
Nor the blood that shows the way

For to triumph against the tears and anguish
Whispering our names with an intake of breath
Wrapping arms around a redemptive soul
In the back of our minds to welcome us home

So take my hand and allow it to heal

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Untitled

To see the world from another point of view,
How will you see it?
When it comes down to one thing,
How will you leave us?
With the callus laughter,
Seen in the drunken picture I took of you?
Or in another time,
Another world?
Could you look back on your life,
And know that you were only human?
No metaphors,
No similes.... Just you?
Or will you exaggerate it like I do,
And make you into a hero....
Could you see life and the world as it is around you?
Or be brazen about it, and dive head on...

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Grim Couplets

My Vampire Mate

I await eagerly for my vampire mate, So together we can spend eternity,fate.

Regret

There I sat, droopy and depressed, This is all there is, I should've guessed.

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Shih Wei

Nights filled with feverish dreams
That set me tossing and turning
Shaking hands flail out
Searching for lost comfort
That once wrapped me snug and warm

There is an emptiness in my heart
A void that grows larger with each minute
Franticly the demons claws rake my mind
Pounding at my will
At my mask which I've hidden behind so long

Crying out in panic and pain
My memories ripped open by tiny jackhammers
A crack in the slate
Becomes the cavernous stretch filled only
By my never ending tears

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