 |
| Ambras Castle portrait of Vlad III (c. 1560), reputedly a copy of an original made during his lifetime |
Posted on 02.11.2017, 10.01.2020
Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș), was voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death. Even if he didn't reign more then 7 years, he remained in the collective memory of the Romanians as a national hero, because on the one hand he constantly fought with the Ottoman Empire, regardless of the consequences, trying to preserve the country's independence, and on the other he strengthened the voivode's position and the rule of law.
 |
| 3344 The family tree of Vlad the Impaler (House of Basarab) |
He took drastic measures against the theft, promoted work and punished the laziness, eliminated the begging, supported fair trade, and encouraged honesty, punishing the traitors harshly. For the Romanians, Vlad Ţepeş remained the voivode during which any passerby could drink water from the fountain of Târgovişte Fortress with a large solid gold goblet, without anyone stealing it (fact confirmed by historical sources). Even nowadays the Romanians invoke them when it comes to the generalized theft and corruption, with a verse by Mihai Eminescu: "Rise once more, o Ţepeş, lord!"
Read more »