Who was Count Drácula?

It is necessary to differentiate in the first place the reality from the fiction. Count Drácula, was the man vampire that skillfully created the novelist, Bram Stoker, in 1897, based, according to knows itself, in the figure, perhaps more feared mystic and, of prince Vlad, to whom they called, the Empalador or Draculea, that in Rumanian means, “son of the demon”.

According to historical sources, Vlad would have used the Castle of Bran (original and historical name of the Castle of Drácula), with military aims between 1452 and 1462. It is in that period in which the fame of this prince exceeded the limits of its own Valaquia earth, to enter itself in other lands where the commentaries on that one diabolic leader, became extensive and well-known.

The Empalador

Real image of Vlad III the Empalador. This one is conserved in the Rumanian monastery of Snagov.

The nickname of Empalador refers the way how Vlad punished its political and military enemies. Empalaba with long stakes of wood to its enemies is known that to Vlad historically. So frequent it was east type of sentence that esteem that in ten years of mandate, the prince executed to more than 50 thousand people, between whom even are not only prisoners or soldiers noble war but also of their own court and priests and important people of their kingdom.

Many affirm that this form “to punish” to its detractors, opponents or enemies, was a strategy that in the long run assured the security to him its own kingdom. The single image of thousand of bodies empalados in the outskirts of their castle, evidently could repress or drive away any attempt of attack or treason. He is for that reason peculiar, for example, that although in the rest of the world the image of Vlad is very near the one of a sadistic assassin, many in that one Rumanian region have the vision of a heroic Vlad, that never allowed that enemy militias attacked of constant way the place.

The Castle

The castle of Bran was constructed in 1212 by Dietrich, a horseman of the Teutónica Order. Nevertheless, it was not but until 1412, when the Castle passed at the hands of Micea the Old man, the grandfathers of the future prince Vlad.

After the death of the descendants of the Vlad, the castle happened in 1920 to Reina Maria, wife of King Fernando I, in gratitude to its contribution to the incorporation from Transilvania to Rumania.

In 1938, the queen left the castle him to her fifth daughter, princess Ileana, however, due to II the World war and the arrival of the Comunism, the castle was confiscated and the princess only could make use of the property as of 1990.

At the moment, the castle is disputed by three children of the princess, who wish to take possession or from the building or the 25 million Euros that the government has offered to them by the castle.

Recently, a report of the American magazine Forbes, has valued the Castle in 140 million dollars, taking into account not only its historical but and mainly, tourist value, because according to this magazine, the castle is the second more important tourist point of Rumania, receiving more than 450 thousand visitors to the year, something far from negligible for an enclave so little known Europe.

The castle so far will continue being a museum until year 2009, soon will happen perhaps, to be private property.

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