Chindia Tower: the landmark of Târgoviște’s princely court
Chindia Tower (Turnul Chindiei) is a 27-metre brick tower in the Curtea Domnească ensemble of Târgoviște, Romania, then the capital of Wallachia. Begun in the age of Vlad the Impaler and given its final shape in the 19th century, it is the symbol of the city, and 122 wooden steps lead to its top platform.
The Chindia Tower is 27 metres tall, yet it once stood about five metres lower: Prince Gheorghe Bibescu raised it in the 1840s. Even its name is a puzzle, as nobody knows if it comes from a feast or from the sunset curfew.
The history of Chindia Tower
Chindia Tower rises in the Curtea Domnească complex in Târgoviște, which was the capital of Wallachia in its day. Nobody knows exactly when the court was built, but it certainly replaced an older princely house from the time of Mircea the Elder, and the first written mentions of the Curtea Domnească date from 1403 and 1409. Historians suspect that building work began in the first reign of Vlad the Impaler but remained unfinished.
Archaeological digs in the mid-20th century showed that the tower dates from the second half of the 15th century, so it may be the “castle” that the Hungarian noble Stephen Báthory saw in November 1476. It was raised over the porch of the chapel-church built by Mircea the Elder. Originally it had two storeys and was entered by a drawbridge from the first level, straight from the neighbouring princely house. It served as a guard point, a fire lookout and a place to keep the state treasury, and at sunset a signal from the tower announced the closing of the city gates.
Visitors left a trail of impressions. In 1595 the Venetian traveller Antonio Pigafetta noted a “tower in a church” with an underground gallery heading for the Ialomița river. In the early 18th century the English chaplain Edmund Chishull judged the building comparable to towers of civilised Christendom, while the French traveller La Motraye, in 1714, did not care for the old-fashioned “castle”. Paul of Aleppo wrote that the tower served as a lamp for the city clock and housed a fanfare that played Oriental music for the prince. By the middle of the 18th century a Latin manuscript says the tower held prison cells.
In 1840 the French draughtsman Michel Bouquet drew the tower much lower than today, standing on a pyramid-shaped brick base. Between 1847 and 1851 Prince Gheorghe Bibescu had it completely restored, adding about five metres and a crenellated crown in the neo-Gothic taste; work under Barbu Știrbei followed. The tower is now 27 metres high and 9 metres wide, with three floors and a stone-clad base. Restoration of the interior began in 1961, and after the last restoration, in 1995, visitors climb 122 wooden steps up a spiral stair to the top platform.
Curiosities about Chindia Tower
- The tower is 27 metres tall today, but the 19th-century restoration under Prince Gheorghe Bibescu added about five metres to the original structure.
- Two theories try to explain the name. One says the area around the tower hosted many feasts, called chindii; the other says chindie is an old word for “sunset”, the hour at which the curfew signal was given.
- After that evening signal, nobody was allowed to enter or leave Târgoviște through its five gates, and residents could not walk the streets or keep outdoor fires that would have made the town visible from afar.
- Elements of the tower appear in the coat of arms of Târgoviște, at the top and at the bottom of the shield.
- Members of the Romanian Astronomical Society of Meteors often observe eclipses, bright comets and Moon–planet conjunctions from the tower, and the ruins around it make a popular backdrop for astrophotography.
- The ruins of the court below the tower have been used as a stage for historical plays, such as “A treia țeapă”.
Tours near Chindia Tower
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Chindia Tower: what to see
- The climb is the highlight: a spiral stair of 122 wooden steps leads to the top platform, with a wide, open horizon.
- The tower houses an exhibition of documents, weapons and objects that belonged to Vlad the Impaler, presented as “Vlad Țepeș – Dracula, legend and historical truth”. What is on show may change, so check the current programme.
- The tower is part of the Curtea Domnească ensemble, whose ruins lie at its foot, and the tower and ruins are managed by the National Museum Curtea Domnească.
- Dealu Monastery, the nearest other place on this guide, is about 3 km away.
- Check the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Chindia Tower is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Chindia Tower
Questions
Where is Chindia Tower?
It stands in the Curtea Domnească monument ensemble in Târgoviște, Dâmbovița County, Romania.
How tall is Chindia Tower?
It is 27 metres high, with a diameter of 9 metres. About five metres were added during the restoration of 1847–1851.
How many steps does Chindia Tower have?
Since the last restoration in 1995, visitors reach the top platform by 122 wooden steps in a spiral.
Who built Chindia Tower?
Work began in the age of Vlad the Impaler, and archaeology dates the tower to the second half of the 15th century. Its present form comes from the 19th-century restoration by Prince Gheorghe Bibescu.
What does the name Chindia mean?
Nobody knows for sure. One theory links it to the feasts, chindii, held nearby; another to an old word for “sunset”, the time of the curfew signal.
What can you see inside Chindia Tower?
The tower houses an exhibition of documents, weapons and objects that belonged to Vlad the Impaler.
Also nearby
Dealu Monastery
Dâmbovița · royal necropolis and cradle of printing
3.5 km away
Mausoleum of Mateiaș
Argeș · hilltop memorial to the soldiers of 1916
47 km away
Sinaia Monastery
Prahova · the monastery that named the town of Sinaia
48 km away
Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak
Bucegi · 39 m summit cross for the First World War dead
54 km away