Bucharest, Romania

The Old Court of Bucharest

The Old Court was built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler (Dracula)) It was expanded during the 16th century by Mircea Ciobanul, and again a century later, this time at the hand of Constantin Brancoveanu, who added a splendid voievodal palace, decorated with marble and icons. The palace was pretty much destroyed by a series of fires in the 19th century.  During archaeological digs in the late 1960's most of what remains today was uncovered.