Wallachian Nobleman - 1462

Vlad III Dracula, most commonly known as Vlad the Impaler and due to his association with the universally famous creation of Bram Stoker, is a highly controversial historical personality. In Romania, he is regarded as a national hero; for some other cultures, the ruthless cruelty of his actions has earned him a criminal and sadistic reputation.

In any case, he was the Voivode of Wallachia in a certainly fascinating period. The area was a hot spot during those times, with constant fights and frictions among the local powers that tried to gain predominance, along with the incessant war against the Turks.

With such a background, there was a strong martial culture among the members of Wallachian nobility. Some of them even belonged to the Order of the Dragon, devoted to the fight against the Turks.

One of the most remarkable military episodes of Vlad IIIs troops was the famous Night Attack at Târgovi?te, on June 17th, 1462. After having refused to pay tribute to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and the execution by impalement of more than 23.000 Turks, Vlad Tepes carried a surprise night attack to the very encampment of Mehmed II. The Ottoman forces were taken by surprise and, even if he didnt manage his objective of capturing the sultan, they were forced to retreat in front of the Wallachian army, quite inferior in numbers.

Our bust represents one of those battle-hardened noblemen. Can be painted in a wide variety of ways and even used to portray an armored soldier from other armies of the same period.