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