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Vlad the Impaler's thirst for blood was an inspiration for Count Dracula
The ruthless brutality of Vlad III of Walachia, forged by the 15th-century clash between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, would partly inspire Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel centuries later.
This well-known portrait of Vlad III—wearing a princely cap adorned with pearls and precious stones—is a copy of one painted during his lifetime (1431-1476) now displayed in Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, Austria.
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