A Forgotten History. A Communist Horse and the Last Vandalization of the Princely Court of Târgoviște

The Princely Court of Târgoviște is one of the best-preserved mediaeval monuments of the Romanian space. Built during the 14 th and 15 th centuries, it held the role of main political centre in the time of several important rulers such as Vlad the Impaler, Petru Cercel, Michael the Brave, Matei Basarab or Constantin Brâncoveanu. The 18 th -century Russo-Austrian-Turkish wars left a heavy mark on the Wallachian Court, accelerating the process of its degradation. The first consistent restoration measures were taken in the modern age, but, unfortunately, they altered the aspect of some of the components of the aulic assemblage. The precarious situation of the former princely court in the early 20 th century prompted the authorities to conduct a study meant to initiate the process of preservation and restoration of the princely complex. The research was entrusted to the Târgoviște-based Virgiliu N. Drăghiceanu, who would obtain the first notable results by carrying out a programme of systematic archaeological excavations in 1934-1938. The establishment of the Communist regime and the difficult Stalinist period affected the local authorities’ efforts to protect the monuments of Târgoviște. One of the lesser-known episodes was to occur in 1956, when a horse belonging to the People’s Council would enter the Princely Court and, together with a few employees of the aforementioned institution, would cause serious damage, which remained unpunished, despite the legal action taken by the museum management.