10 Unknown – or Contested- Resting Places of Historical Greats

10 Unknown – or Contested- Resting Places of Historical Greats

D.G. Hewitt - May 28, 2018

10 Unknown – or Contested- Resting Places of Historical Greats
Vlad the Impaler’s resting place continues to be the subject of historic intrigue. Wikipedia.

Vlad the Impaler

As one of the most feared rulers in history, Vlad the Impaler sent many men – and women and children – to their graves. But his own grave? Nobody knows where this might be. In fact, over the centuries, countless theories have been put forward as to where Vlad III might be lying. Often, historians can’t even agree on the right country. And, while this may be frustrating for historians, it’s somehow fitting that a man who spawned many myths remains such a mystery many years after his death.

Vlad was born in 1428 to royalty in Wallachia, modern-day Romania. A prince, he was a member of the Order of the Dragon, vowing to protect Christianity from the Ottoman Turks. And it was in his near-constant battles with the Ottoman Empire that Vlad earned his reputation and his infamous nickname. According to some accounts, when he took prisoners, he liked to impale them on spikes. Not only did this ensure they died a slow, painful death, but it was also his way of deterring his enemies from following him.

Relatively little is known of Vlad’s demise. Certainly, he was lost in battle in the year 1476, or perhaps early 1477. According to some contemporary sources, his body was cut to pieces, with different parts being sent to his various enemies. This means that his resting place is not known – and, if stories of him being chopped up are true, then it might never be known. Popular tradition holds that Vlad was buried in the Monastery of Snagov. The monastery is located on an island in the middle of Snagov Lake in Transylvania, Romania. The story goes that the monks living here found his headless body in nearby forests and, since he and his father had helped them financially, the monks took Vlad to be given a proper burial.

But not everyone is so sure. Some historians have it that, rather than being killed in battle, Vlad was captured by the Ottoman. Some say his daughter paid a ransom and he ended up in Naples, where he lies to this day. Here, in the Italian city, the graveyard of Santa Maria la Nova, is a tomb with a dragon etched on it – the symbol of the Prince of Wallachia’s house. Could this really be the place? Maybe. The only problem is, if anyone ever thinks they’ve found the spot, they might have to open the tomb of Vlad the Impaler to prove it – and that sounds like quite a scary prospect indeed.

 

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