Church of Santa Maria la Nova
Renaissance cloister tomb carved with a dragon-crested helmet, at the center of a debated Dracula burial theory.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Church of Santa Maria la Nova in Naples centers on a marble cloister tomb carved with a dragon-crested helmet, sphinxes and dolphins, and the claim an Italian researcher named Raffaello Glinni made in 2014 that it belonged to Vlad the Impaler. It follows his evidence, from the Order of the Dragon to heraldry from Dobruja and a theorized secret daughter smuggled to Naples, and the scrutiny that followed once historians looked closer at the tomb's inscription. Look closely at the carving yourself before you hear how the dates stack up.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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