Bucharest

Bucharest is currently the Capital of Romania. With more than 2.000.000 inhabitants, it is a crowded city, cultural, administrative and industrial center.
But what connects Bucharest with the name of the ruler Vlad the Impaler is the fact that the first documentary attestation of the city dates from his second reign, from the end of the XV-th century. Also, in the conditions that then the capital of Wallachia was Targoviste, Vlad the Impaler ordered the construction of the Princely Court (the ruler's residence) in Bucharest. The climb of Bucharest continued rapidly, so, during the reign of Radu the Handsome, the brother and the successor at reign of Vlad the Impaler, Bucharest became Capital. At the middle of the XVI-th century, during the reign of Mircea the Shepard, the Princely Court from Bucharest is rebuilt from the ground.
After these foundation years, the Princely Court of Bucharest played an important role in history and in the town's life. The famous' Mihai the Brave Capital was here and from here he launched his powerful offensive against the ottomans. But, in 1595, the ottomans burn the Princely Court and the Capital is moved again at Targoviste. Finally, in 1659, Matei Basarab moves definitively the ruler's residency in Bucharest, where he will completely rebuild it. During the reign of Constantin Brancoveanul, some new buildings were added to the Princely Court (like the pompous "big house", the residency of the first lady, chambers for the princely guard etc.). These buildings brought sumptuous new looks to the ruler's residence.
But these good years were followed by decline. So, during the XVIII-th century, the Princely Court is laid waste by fires and earthquakes and is damaged by the Turkish-Austrian-Russian war (1768-1774). So, Alexander Ipsilanti had to build a new the Princely Court, known as the New Court, in 1775, on Spirii Hill. The Old Court, situated on the bank of Dambovita River, near Lipscani Street, remained in dereliction.
Until today, the archeologists restored some of the buildings from the Old Court, like: roadhouse of Manuc (built in 1808), "The Old Court" church (foundation of Mircea the Shepherd and renovated by Grigore Ghica, Serban Cantacuzino, Constantin Brancoveanul). At present the Old Court is in a process of restoration.