Guards Room. 브란 성(Castelul Bran. Bran Castle. 드라큘라 성). 브란(Bran)

Guards Room. 브란 성(Castelul Bran. Bran Castle. 드라큘라 성).

브란(Bran). 루마니아(Romania)

bran-castle.com

Guards Room (Camera de Garda)

The Guards room is the ground floor space of the South tower, built in the 17th century. The room is paved with red brick, has plastered walls and a wooden ceiling. The windows are dug into the thick walls, built of stone and river boulders. In the interwar period, the late Transylvanian Gothic stone frame was mounted on the door to the inner courtyard. The Romanian open fireplace was designed at the beginning of the 1920s from the plans of the Czech arthitect Karel Limar.

Welcome to Bran Castle

After almost seven centuries of existence, the Castle is today the medieval architectural jewel of Transylvania and the ambassador of folklore born deep down in its' history. In the 14th century, Louis I of Anjou, King of Hungary, issued a charter to build the fortress at the Eastern border of the Hungarian Kingdom. The Castle marked the customs point between Transylvania and Wallachia until the 19th century. Its strategic significance at the time was overwhelming and it served several purpose: a transit point between the East and the West, a defence point against foreign invasions, a customs duty collection point and a quarantine point in the event of e European epidemic. In recent history, the Castle changed from being a royal residence, home of Romania's most beloved princess to a state owned museum during the sad communist era. In 2009, Bran Castle has returned to life as the most popular touristic destination in Romania, under private administration.

Medieval fortress

Bran Castle was built between 1377 and 1382 for economic and strategic reasons: the defence of the Customs House and the commerical roads passing through the Bran Gorge. The fortress was built by the inhabitants of Brasov at their expense, in exchange for customs privileges. The geographical position has ensured the surveillance of the gorge, thus receiving significant military attributes. The main mission was to block any enemy invasion at the gates of the fortress until help would arrive from Rasnov and Brasov. According to historical sources, English mercenaries formed the fortress's garrison, which defended the gorge. Generally, the garrison numbered between 12 and 24 men, with few exceptions: in 1599 when it numbered 40 men and in 1658 when it counted 30 soldiers. Bran Castle remained the customs point until 1836.

     

Royal Castle

After 1918, Transylvania became part of Greater Romania. In 1920 the City Council of Brasov symbolically offered Bran Castle to Queen Marie. Between 1920 and 1937 under the strict supervision of the Queen and the Royal House architect, Karel Liman, the Castle was renovated: the 3rd and 4th floors were added with access stairs, the ramparts and the crenels became windows, the open fireplaces were replaced by beautiful tile stoves, a telephone was installed and a lift was built to facilitate access from the Royal Park to the Castle. In 1932, in order to illuminate the Castele, Queen Marie ordered the construction of an electric turbine that offered free electricity to the surrounding villages: Bran, Simon and Moieciu. Queen Marie left Bran Castle to Princess Ileana. Between 1944 and 1948, the Princess, together with her husband, Anton Habsburg, Archduke of Austria, and their children lived in the Castle and continued its' development.

   

Nocturnal residence of Count Dracula

In 1897, the Irish writer Bram Stoker gave the world an imaginary charcter that even today fascinates audiences from all over the world: Dracula, an immortal Transylvanian count, thirsty for innocent blood. The legend created by Stoker is based on the fictional image of the 15th century Wallachian prince, Vlad Țepeș, who was famous at the time by his severe punishment of the law breakers. Starting from Țepeș's bloody reputation, from his enigmatic death and the belief in supernatural beings such as the living dead, present in the Romanian folklore, Dracula is a mixture of real historical facts and imaninary. Bran Castle, described in literature as a great fortress difficult to conquer, located in a mysterious place in the midst of the Carpathians Mountains, was the ideal framework for Bram Stoker's novel. Nowadays, Bran Castle is not only the imaginary residence of Count Dracula but also presents to its public the characters of the Romanian folk tales: Strigoi, Moroi, Iele, Muma-Padurii.

 

"It was many years since, in a trip across the border, I saw it stand in lonliness on the rock on which it was raised and I thought what a delight to have such a fortress and turn it into a home. What wonder it would be to bring to life a small medieval castle, a true fairy tale. And then the unbelievable happende. Two years after the war a delegation from Brasov's authorities came to me in a solemn mission and offered me th castle in Bran, an absolute fit, entirely my own:

Regina Maria, except from the article My dream houses, published in the magazine "Boabe de Grau", year 1, no. 2, April 1930. p 66.

on Oct 16th I have taken over this dear Castle with greatfulness and reverence and shall lovingly care for it that the memory of the one that gave it life may always be found here by all those who lover Her.

May Her great spirit ever reign over "Brana the beloved".

Princess Ileana, October 1935, personal diary.

on the 7th of January 1948, I left Bran Castle and my beloved Country in heartbreak.

Today, the 27th of December 1950, our new home is being inaugurated, miles and miles away, in Newton Moss, USA.

We start a new building for the future, keeping alive the spirit of the Pas and the ancestral faith to illuminate our path."

Princess Ileana, December 1950, personal diary.

on May 18, 2009, Bran Castle was reinstated with full rights, to us: Elisabet, Maria-Magdalena and Dominic, the youngest of Princess Ileana's six children.

The caste was empty, dark and cold, with only a plaque mentioning Queen Marie and our uncle Mircea resting in the chapel as the castle's last guardians.

Outside the castle walls, however, the love and warmth were so great that they flowed in, as they only do in fairy tales. The warmth has filled the castle with light as Queen Marie had, and the castle has become once more as we had known it years ago, welcoming anyone who wishes to enter its walls.

This Miracle was made possible by the best of Romanian from near and far, the elves of Bran-the staff of Bran Castle.

We are eternally greatfull to them, led by Lia Doru Trandafir and Corin Trandafir, who also led the rocky ten years legal process of restitution.

Maria Magdalena, Elisabeth, Dominic

May our mother rest in peace now."

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