Comana Monastery () is a

Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...

monastery in Comana,

Giurgiu County Giurgiu () is a county ('' județ'') of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 265,494 and the population density was . * Romanians – 96% * Romani ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. In 1461, the original Comana Monastery was founded and built by

Vlad Țepeș Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...

(Vlad the Impaler) as a monastery-fortress. Having fallen into disrepair, the original monastery was completely demolished and rebuilt in 1589 by

Radu Șerban Radu Șerban (? – 23 March 1620) was a Wallachian nobleman who reigned as the principality's ''voivode'' during two periods from 1602 to 1610 and during 1611. Biography A supposed descendant of Neagoe Basarab, he attained high office during ...

, future prince of Wallachia, Romania. Measuring , the new monastery was fortified with defensive walls and five towers. It was restored between 1699 and 1703 by

Șerban Cantacuzino Șerban Cantacuzino (), (1634/1640 – 29 October 1688) was a List of rulers of Wallachia, Prince of Wallachia between 1678 and 1688. Biography Șerban Cantacuzino was a member of the Romanian branch of the Cantacuzino family, Cantacuzino noble ...

and again during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1861, the foundation of the original monastery built by Vlad Tepes was rediscovered by Ioan Brezoianu. By 1960, the separate village of Vlad Țepeș had been established west of Comana.
During archeological work performed in the 1970s, a headless body, which may be that of Vlad Țepeș, known as

Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...

, was discovered on the grounds of the current monastery. Historian Constantin Rezachevici and others believe that he may have been buried here, near the battlefield where he was killed.

Notes

External links

*
Official site
{{coord missing, Giurgiu County Buildings and structures completed in 1461 Christian monasteries established in the 1460s Romanian Orthodox monasteries of Wallachia 1461 establishments in Europe Historic monuments in Giurgiu County 15th-century establishments in Wallachia 15th-century Romanian Orthodox monasteries