In the second half of the 14th century the consolidation of Romanian County as a feudal estate under Vlaicu Voivode's rule and mostly of a Turkish invasion determined Ludovic I of Anjou, king of Hungary, take measures in order to fortify Eastern Transylvania's passes: Severin, Turnu Rosu, Bran.

As far as Bran pass was concerned, its consolidation was impending as a military and economic necessity, because it meant at the same time, beside an important way of invasion across the Carpathians one of the most important commercial road which tied Transylvania and Romanian County through Brasov.

Brasov's commercial road with Romanian Country
Bran pass fortification didn't only interest the Magyar Royalty, but in a special way Brasov's commercial stronghold as well, because of its geographic position (situated at almost 30km nearby) and also from economic reasons of supervising its own commercial way. For these reasons, as resulted in the privilege granted on November 19th 1377 by Ludovic the Great, the people of Brasov "freely and unforced but in good will, generously and unanimously promised to build a new stronghold in Bran, by themselves, by their own work, by their own money and clear the wood all around"'. In exchange for the building of Bran stronghold, Brasov's inhabitants got the reinforcement of their privileges upon the 13 villages in Barsa County which made up at those times the district of Brasov: the decreasing of the royal duty as well as the promise that the customs tax which was to be paid while passing the goods through customs, already moved from Rucar to Bran mountain pass, would be diminished.
The stronghold was build on a rock, the narrowest place between Magura and Stronghold's Hill, its location widely opening both to Moeciu Valley and Hill and to Barsa County. That's why the reference from the document regarding the wood cutting "along and across" has to be understood as wood clearing on top hills with a view to allow a wide opening overseeing the enemy armies potential penetration.

Regarding the lapse of time during which the Bran stronghold was being build, the fact that in 1382, by the time Ludovic I of Anjou died, the stronghold was finished. 
The time it took the stronghold to be finished was very short, considering the technical means of that period, and can be related to the threat embodied by the Ottoman Empire to which the villages from Balkan Peninsula fell victim to the Yataghan, one by one.

 

 

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