Târgoviște was the capital and princely residence of Wallachia between 1396 and 1714, becoming the economic, political, military, and cultural center of the region. Archaeological discoveries demonstrate habitation since the Neolithic period, and the city was first mentioned in documents in 1396. Under the rule of Mircea the Elder and Vlad the Impaler, Târgoviștea experienced periods of resistance against the Ottoman Empire. Later, under Michael the Brave, the city was one of the centers of the union of the three Romanian principalities. Matei Basarab contributed to cultural development and the strengthening of fortifications. After the period of the Phanariot rulers, the city gradually abandoned its old princely fortress. Târgoviștea played an important role in events such as the Romanian Revolution of 1848 and underwent significant modernization in the 19th century, including the opening of the Bucharest-Târgoviște railway and industrial development. After the communist period, the city returned to a democratic course.
