WASHINGTON, June 15, 2014 – Hurriyet Daily News reports that the long-lost location of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century Prince known for his brutality may have been found. Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic novel “Dracula” is based on Vlad, and is the inspiration for plenty of present day pop culture from the Twilight books and movies to the HBO series True Blood.
The Ottomans where record keepers, and were the Prince’s biggest foes. Vlad’s cruelty was recorded by the Ottomans, securing his reputation as one of the biggest villains in Turkey and history.
An article in the Hurriyet Daily News claims his remains are in the Piazza Santa Maria la Nova graveyard in Naples, and not the Romanian Transylvanian Alps as has always been thought.
Vlad III, the Prince of Wallachia’s, date of birth is believed to have been between 1428 and 1431, probably in Sighişaora, Transylvania.
From the article:
“His patronymic, ‘Dracul’, means Dragon, derived from the membership of his father, Vlad II Dracul, in the Order of the Dragon, an order of chivalry for the defence of Christianity in Eastern Europe against the Ottomans, so the young Vlad became known as Dracula, or “son of Dragon”.
Although Vlad was infamous throughout Europe for his cruelty, it was his favourite method of execution that ensured his place in history and gave him the name Vlad Tepes (‘Vlad the Impaler’)….”
The Prince is said to have died in the late fall/early winter of 1476, dissappearing while in battle. Common lore was that his head was kep as a trophy.
The exact date, cause, and location of Vlad’s death is unknown, but is believed to have taken place between October and December 1476. Scholars from the University of Tallinn say they have discovered evidence that suggests the count was not killed in battle, but taken prisoner, ransomed to his daughter in Italy and then buried in a church in Naples. An ancient headstone uncovered in Naple’s Piazza Santa Maria la Nova, the same graveyard where his daughter and son-in-law are buried, has images and symbols of the House of the Transylvanian ‘Carpathians’.
Erika Stella, a Neapolitan student writing a dissertation on the history of the church discovered the headstone, sharing the image via Internet where experts identified it with a certain level of confidence after years of research.
Medieval history scholar Raffaello Glinni said the 16th century tomb is covered in images and symbols of the House of the Transylvanian “Carpathians,” and not the tomb of an Italian nobleman, reports Hurriyet Daily News.
“When you look at the bas-relief sculptures, the symbolism is obvious. The dragon means Dracula and the two opposing sphinxes represent the city of Thebes, also known as Tepes. In these symbols, the very name of the count Dracula Tepes is written,” Glinni told reporters.
“When you look at the bas-relief sculptures, the symbolism is obvious. The dragon means Dracula and the two opposing sphinxes represent the city of Thebes, also known as Tepes. In these symbols, the very name of the count Dracula Tepes is written,” said Medieval history scholar Raffaello Glinni.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities Digital News, LLC. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.