Târgoviște is the former seat of the Wallachian hospodars and historically one of the most important places on the southern side of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. There are ruins of the royal court and many interesting museums.
The town was founded in the Middle Ages and at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, during the reign of Mirczy Stary, it became the seat of the Wallachian hospodars. It performed this role until the beginning of the 18th century, when Constantine Brâncoveanu moved the capital to Bucharest. Even then, however, it was a frequently visited summer residence.
The Royal Court is a remnant of Târgoviște's former glory. It consists of the ruins of the palace, the Ducal Church, the interior of which is decorated with medieval polychromes, and the Chindiei Tower, which is now an excellent vantage point over the entire complex of the former manor house.
Other attractions of Târgoviște include the local churches, such as the fortified Stelea Monastery, the Târgului Church with the remains of external paintings, the Church of St. Nicholas. There are also museums documenting the rich history of the city and Romanian state. These are the Historical Museum, the Art Museum, the National Museum of the Romanian Police, the Museum of Printing and Old Romanian Books and the Writers Museum of the Dâmbovița Region.
Târgoviște has also played an important role in recent Romanian history. During the revolution of 1989, the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were imprisoned and tried in the local barracks. They were sentenced to death by a revolutionary tribunal and shot on the spot, within the barracks.
