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The Building of Bran
Stronghold
In the second half of the 14th century the consolidation of Romanian County
as a feudal estate under Vlaicu Voievode's rule and mostly of a Turkish invasion
determined Ludovic I of Anjou, king of Hungary, take measures in order to fortify
Eastern Transilvania'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 Transilvania and Romanian County trough
Brasov.
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
STRONGHOLD'S ENTRANCE resulted in the privilege granted on November 19th 1377 by
Ludovic the Great, the people of Brasov "freely and un-
forced but in good will, generously and unanimously promised to build a new strong-
hold in Bran by themselves, by their own work, by their own
money and clear the wood all around".
in exchange of building 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 INTERIOR COURTYARD
The stronghold was built on a rock, 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 wich 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 wery short, considering the
technical means of that period,and can be related to te threat
embodied by the Ottoman Empire to wich the villages from Balkan
Peninsula fell victim to the Yataghan, one by one.
THE INTERIOR COURTYARD
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