Is this Dracula's REAL tomb? Coffin of bloodthirsty ruler who inspired vampire ‘found'… and it's NOT in Transylvania
BLOOD LINES Is this Dracula's REAL tomb? Coffin of bloodthirsty ruler who inspired vampire 'found'… and it's NOT in Transylvania
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THE bloodthirsty ruler who inspired the Dracula legend was buried a thousand miles away from Romania, bombshell new research has claimed.
Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula, was a notorious medieval tyrant who ruled over Wallachia, a region in modern-day Romania.
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The tomb in Naples will open to visitors in October
Credit: Supplied
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The inscription deciphered by researchers includes 'Blad' - interpreted as a variant of the name 'Vlad' - and 'Balcani' the region where Vlad ruled in the 15th century
Credit: Supplied
The despot, who earned his nickname for impaling his enemies on stakes in the ground and leaving them to die, was the inspiration behind Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.
Vlad Dracula not only lends his name to the character, but the pair were also rulers over Transylvania, a region in Romania, and are known for their acts of cruelty.
For centuries, it was believed the prince was buried in his homeland in the churches of Comana or Snagov near Bucharest after he was killed in battle at the end of December 1476.
But excavations there have failed to find his remains, fuelling speculation about his death and final resting place.
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Now, historians claim Vlad was actually buried a thousand miles away, and not even in Romania.
The team of researchers identified a tomb in Italy they believe could belong to the ruler.
Historians have long speculated that he did not die in battle as was widely believed but fled to Naples with his daughter.
After 10 years of research, the experts believe his tomb is at the Church of Santa Maria La Nova, in the Turbolo Chapel, in Naples.
Professor Giuseppe Reale, the director of Santa Maria La Nova, told The Sun how the tomb features symbols related to Vlad and his ancestry - and they have finally translated mystery inscriptions.
The inscription includes two key words - "Blad" - interpreted as a variant of the name "Vlad" - and "Balcani," the region where Vlad ruled in the 15th century.
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The letters B and V had the same sound in the Neopolitan dialect and were often interchangeable.
The marble tomb is decorated with a knight's helmet crowned with a dragon's head - a symbol of the Order of the Dragon, a medieval society of which Vlad was a member, according to historians.
Professor Reale said the text and symbols appears to be a "funeral eulogy" - and it mentions a possible date of death in November 20, 1480.
The exact circumstances of Vlad's death have never been clear but it was previously thought he died in around 1477.
Two sphinx-like statues also sit around the tomb - which researchers believe allude to the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes and Vlad's Romanian epithet - Țepeș.
Bram Stoker himself - the author of Dracula - also lived in Naples in 1875 with his father.
Born in 1431 in Transylvania, a mountainous region in modern-day Romania, Vlad the Impaler was ruler of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476.
He is considered one of the most important rulers - and a national hero of Romania.
In a bloody battle in 1462, Vlad is said to have left a field filled with 23,844 impaled victims in a bid to stop enemies pursuing the Ottoman forces.
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Gary Oldman kisses Winona Ryder in the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula
Credit: Alamy
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Portrait of Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula after he is said to have enjoyed impaling his enemies
Credit: Alamy
It comes as Vlad the Impaler's home is set to open to the public.
Until five years ago, Poienari Castle in Curtea de Arge, Romania, had been left untouched for decades.
Cornel Popescu, manager of Arges County Museum, said Poienari is the "true" castle of ruthless Vlad.
The "impenetrable" fortress - perched on an 800m cliff - was home to the notorious ruler.
Many believe Bran Castle - a national monument in Transylvania - is the castle that inspired the fictional bloodsucker.
But Popescu said it has "no connection" to Vlad - a warlord with a taste for blood.
He told The Sun: "Vlad the Impaler-Dracula reigned three times.
"During the second reign, he built up only three monuments - the Comana and Snagov monasteries and Poienari castle.
"Bran castle has no connection with Vlad the Impaler. He did not build that castle - it is only marketing for tourism.
"The true castle of Vlad the Impaler is Poienari castle."
Only accessible via 1,500 steps, Popescu said the Gothic fortress was never conquered by Vlad's enemies - despite several attempts.
The fortress was rebuilt in 1459 when Vlad the Impaler used slaves to make bricks, cut stones and finish the construction in just a week.
Surprisingly, the eerie landscapes of Transylvania became popular with King Charles in the nineties and he now visits every year and even has a holiday home there.
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Professor Giuseppe Reale said the tomb features symbols related to Vlad Dracula and his ancestry - including a dragon and sphinxes
Credit: Supplied
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A drawing of Vlad III from 1560 shows the ruler impaling his enemies on huge spikes as he dines
Credit: Getty
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