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In 1431 or thereabouts, in or near a three-storey house at Piata Muzeului 6, within the shadow of the old town's Clock Tower, a woman whose name is lost to posterity gave birth to a son called Vlad, who in later life earned the title of "The Impaler". Abroad, he's better known as Dracula , which can be translated as "Son of the Devil", or more accurately as "Son of the Dragon" - referring to his father, Vlad Dracul , whom the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Hungary made a knight of the Order of the Dragon in 1431 for his support in the struggle against the Turks. At this point Vlad Dracul was merely the guard commander of the mountain passes into Wallachia, but in 1436 he secured the princely throne of Wallachia and moved his family to the court at Targoviste. Young Vlad's privileged childhood there ended several years later, when he and his brother Radu were sent by their father as hostages to the Turkish Sultan in Anatolia in an attempt to curry favour. There, as the brothers lived in daily fear of rape and of the silken cord with which the Ottomans strangled dignitaries, Vlad observed the Turks' use of terror, which he would later turn against them. Nowadays, Vlad's birthplace contains a restaurant , with typical Romanian fare and poor service; look out for the partially restored mural depicting a figure believed to be Vlad's father, Vlad Dracul. There's a small museum of medieval weapons (Tues-Sun 10am-3.30pm) on the other side of Strada Cositarilor. Just to the west on Piata Cetatii, the sixteenth-century Hirscherhaus ( Casa cu cerb ) is currently being resored to house a cultural centre and hotel, while opposite it an information centre and cafe is planned.
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