Poenari Castle (IPA: /po.ǐe.'narʲ/) also known as
Poenari Citadel (
Cetatea Poenari in
RomanianRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
), is a ruined
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
in
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
, in
Argeş CountyArgeş is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Piteşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians - 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
(Căpăţânenii Pământeni village of the
ArefuArefu is a commune in Argeş County, in southern central Romania....
commune) on a canyon formed on the
Argeş RiverArgeş is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraş Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Olteniţa.The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti...
valley, close to the
Făgăraş MountainsFăgăraş Mountains are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viştea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraş Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
. It stands on a cliff, on the right side of the
TransfăgărăşanBuilt as a strategic military route, The Transfăgărăşan or DN7C is the highest and most dramatic paved road in Romania. It runs North to South across the tallest sections of the Carpathian Mountains, between the highest peak in the country, Moldoveanu, and the second highest, Negoiu...
road which climbs high into the mountains. Poienari Castle is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
It was erected around the beginning of the 13th century by the first
RomanianThe Romanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian ; they are the majority inhabitants of România.In one prominent interpretation of the census results in Moldova, Moldovans are counted as Romanians, which would...
rulers in the South region of Romania, known as
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
.
Poenari Castle (IPA: /po.ǐe.'narʲ/) also known as
Poenari Citadel (
Cetatea Poenari in
RomanianRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
), is a ruined
castleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
in
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
, in
Argeş CountyArgeş is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Piteşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians - 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
(Căpăţânenii Pământeni village of the
ArefuArefu is a commune in Argeş County, in southern central Romania....
commune) on a canyon formed on the
Argeş RiverArgeş is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraş Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Olteniţa.The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti...
valley, close to the
Făgăraş MountainsFăgăraş Mountains are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viştea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraş Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
. It stands on a cliff, on the right side of the
TransfăgărăşanBuilt as a strategic military route, The Transfăgărăşan or DN7C is the highest and most dramatic paved road in Romania. It runs North to South across the tallest sections of the Carpathian Mountains, between the highest peak in the country, Moldoveanu, and the second highest, Negoiu...
road which climbs high into the mountains. Poienari Castle is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
It was erected around the beginning of the 13th century by the first
RomanianThe Romanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian ; they are the majority inhabitants of România.In one prominent interpretation of the census results in Moldova, Moldovans are counted as Romanians, which would...
rulers in the South region of Romania, known as
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
. Around the 14th century, Poenari was the main citadel of the Basarab rulers. In the next few decades, the name and the residents changed a few times but eventually the castle was abandoned and left in ruins.
However, in the 15th century, realizing the potential for a castle perched high on a steep precipice of rock,
Vlad III the ImpalerVlad III, Prince of Wallachia, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler , or simply Dracula , was a Wallachian voivode. His first reign as crown prince took place at age 17, during the same year of his release from Turkish captivity, in 1448...
repaired and consolidated the structure, making it one of his main fortresses.
Although the castle was used for many years after Vlad's death in 1476, it eventually was abandoned again in the first half of the 16th century and was in ruins by the 17th century. Due to its size and location, control of the castle was difficult to take, even by natural forces. However, in 1888, a landslide brought down a portion of the castle which crashed into the river far below. Nonetheless, the castle was slightly repaired and the walls and its towers still stand today. To reach the castle, visitors need to climb 1,500 steps.
In fiction
Bram StokerAbraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Henry Irving and business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, which Irving owned.-Early life:He...
's book says that Romanians knew
Dracula's castleDracula's Castle may refer to:* Bran Castle, a tourist attraction in Transylvania* Poienari Castle, a castle of Vlad III Dracula, who was an inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula character* Orava Castle, a location where Nosferatu was filmed...
as "Cetatea Lui Negru Vodă" or Citadel of the Black Prince, although this fictional version of the castle was situated some 200 kilometers to the north. This castle, like most other elements of the book, has little in common with its historical counterpart.
External links