The construction of the Făgăraş fortress began in 1310, on the site of an old wooden fortification from the 12th century. It was built for strategic purposes, namely to defend the south-east of Transylvania from the invasions of the Tatars and the Ottomans. In 1526, Ștefan Mailat, who had become voivode of Transylvania and master of the fortress and the domains around Făgăraș, then transformed the building into a real fortress. The defense walls were doubled in thickness and new spaces were laid out in the rooms.