princely court

We just visited as a family the Princely Court - Targoviste. We were delighted with everything we saw. Wonderful work from the people involved in reconstruction and renovation, all of these were done with artistic touch. We are waiting to see the Princely Church altar which is in working status but everything in this church is wonderful - Old mural paint done by Brancoveanu painter, the old stone stair inside the church. We enjoyed the Chindia tower, the beautiful landscape around the place. We just faced a minor inconvenience at the History of the Romanian printing press where the curator rushed us out of the museum at 15:30 while the actual closing time is 16:00.Overall, it was a very pleasant and instructive trip,Mihaela

The end of March brought me in front of the Princely Court from Targoviste. The sun was tempting me to go, the Wallachian Seat and capital during the troubled Romanian history still stands as a true witness of this. The name comes from Slavic (Bulgarian) word that defines the point where the market place exists rather than the market itself. It is known that in Bulgaria exists a town with exact the same name as the Romanian one and there are twinned.The Princely Court from Targoviste is only 80 km far from Bucharest heading NV on the bank of Ialomita River. As you're coming from Bucharest you'll be welcomed by a Tower - "Bucharest Gate" - that seems in old times being used as access towards the Princely Court. Not far from here we'll stop very close to the entrance access point (access fee is 9 lei/adt and photo tax is 15 lei). The fortified gate - the Southern Gate - is impressing and makes us to understand better the way that life was in those days. Documents talking about the capital of Wallachia were mentioned In 1396, after Bavarian traveler Johann Schiltberger mentions Târgoviște together with Curtea de Arges as capitals of Wallachia.Once that you step inside you are impressed by the former princely Palace, now in ruin, but very well restored and preserved. Grandfather of Vald the Impaler founded this construction, after 1400, and the access was made from the north. The 15th century construction, that seems to be the largest aulic Romanian building, is attributed to Vlad Dracul, the construction being completed around fourth decade of 15th century. The preserved basement stretched over the whole surface, having the traces of the former ceremony and council room. But the beauty of this Court will be completed, according with the documents, in 1584, when the Prince (Voivode) Petru Cercel designs a renaissance inspiration building. For the first time in the Wallachian architecture appears the three storey building (basement, first floor and upper floor. Worth to be mentioned that the upper floor was entirely used only by the Princely family and the access was made through a staircase located on the west side. From here it was a corridor that was making the access to the Princely Church. Through the years that follows other important rulers of Wallachia restored the Court from Targoviste (Matei Basarab - 1640 - he did the connection between the old structure and the new one; 1660 - Constantin Brancoveanu rebuilds the vaults, floors and roof). Interesting isn't it?From here only few steps and we reach in front the symbol of this town - Chindia Tower. The Tower was raised by Vlad the Impaler, son of Vlad II Dracul, around mid of 15th century. The construction is a mix between the pyramid shape(the base) and the cylindrical shape of the upper part making this tower to measure around 27 metres high. The Tower has three storeys (due to the restoration from 19th century) and the inside access is made by a spiral staircase. What's to notice is that the first construction was lower (only two storeys) and the entrance was made using a wooden bridge connecting with the Princely Palace.Going back to the Prince Petru Cercel we find the Princely Church that he founded it inspired a little bit from Ottoman architecture (the sizes and the rectangular shape of 14 metres wide and 30 metres long) never seen before. Another interesting thing and quite unique in ecclesiastic orthodox architecture is the presence of a balcony, located above the entrance in the nave, specially designed for the Princely family. The painting of the inside frescoes had been realized by the painter Constantinos between 1696 - 1698.I have to tell you that here you'll discover few more things, amazing for those days and a museum and I leave it to you dear traveller.After few hours spent in the Medieval Ages we are leaving this place richer.

Não deixe de conferir na igreja de São Nicolau os "frescoes", muito deles ainda originais. O guia da igreja tem um doutorado nos estudos da mesma, é apaixonado pela profissão e é fascinante passar pelas pinturas das paredes, ou os "cassetes" como ele mencionava. Agora, a pintura muito rara que você pode encontrar lá é a Virgem Maria grávida ! Vale a pena conferir!