Targoviste Fortress: The Past Glory of a Princely Court

Diana Condrea
Diana Condrea
I'm a tour guide and amateur photographer. You can also find me on LinkedIn

Targoviste Fortress is one of the most important medieval monuments in Romania. With a history that goes back to the 15th century, this fortress was the residence of some of the most famous princes of Southern Romania, including Constantin Brancoveanu and the legendary Vlad the Impaler.

Read also Southern Romania: An Underrated Travel Destination

Targoviste fortress

Chindia Tower

Targoviste was a medieval capital

Targoviste was the capital of Southern Romania in the medieval centuries before Bucharest achieved this status. The princely court was mentioned starting with 1417-1418 in a document of Michael the 1st. During this initial stage, the fortress was rather small, surrounded by a wooden defensive wall. It’s Vlad Dracul who extended and modernized the court to the standards of a princely residence, fortified against enemy attacks.

His son, the famous Vlad the Impaler built around 1460 the Tower of Chindia, later heightened to 27 meters, with three floors connected by a winding staircase, plus an open terrace on the last level. The tower hosts today an exhibition focused on the life and reign of Vlad the Impaler.

argoviste Fortress and Church

View from the Great Church

By the end of the 16th century, Prince Petru Cercel built the Great Church, a new palace, and fortified the court with an overall surface of 29,000 square meters. The last major restoration and period of glory took place during the reign of Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714) who connected the two existing palaces and repainted the Great Church. After his tragic death, the princely court from Targoviste was permanently abandoned in favor of the Old Court from Bucharest.

Don’t miss Chindia Tower

Start with a walk up to Chindia Tower, the symbol of the princely court of Targoviste. A view from the tower’s balcony will give you a panoramic perspective over the entire court. From the balcony, you can also observe the contour of a church dating back to 1415.

Targoviste fortress

The ruins of the old palace

After walking around what remains of the palace, visit the two churches that still survive centuries after they were built. The small Holly Friday Church is located close to Asylum built by Lady Balasa. Not as impressive as the Great Princely Church, this is, however, the only monument built in the 15th century in Southern Romania still conserved in its original form.

Close to the princely palace, once connected by a direct corridor, stands the remarkable Great Princely Church. Built by Petru Cercel between 1583 and 1585, the church has a Greek cross plan and impressive dimensions for that time. Completely repainted by Constantinos at the end of the 17th century, the church still preserves these frescoes, including the greatest gallery of Wallachian princes on the narthex walls.

Targoviste fortress

Paintings of the Great Church

Once a prosperous and important princely court, the Targoviste Fortress is one of the few medieval monuments that still exists in Southern Romania. Less than two hours away from Bucharest, this landmark is more than worth a day trip from the capital.

Travel tips

Check the visiting schedule on www.muzee-dambovitene.ro

A few meters from the Holly Friday Church, you can visit the Museum of the Printing Press and Old Books. The collections include an 18th-century printing press as well as numerous old manuscripts.

Visit also Poenari Fortress, Curtea de Arges Monastery, and Potlogi Palace to discover more landmarks from the region.

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