Alexander II Mircea


Alexandru II Mircea was a Voivode or Prince of Wallachia from 1568 to 1574 and 1574 to 1577. He was the father of Mihnea II Turcitul. His parents were Mircea III Dracul and Maria Despina. Raised by the Turks in Istanbul, he hardly knew his country of origin before gaining the throne of Wallachia.

Rule

Alexandru and his wife Catherine Salvaresso came to Bucharest in June 1574. Much like his great-grandfather, Vlad III Dracula, he was known for his extreme cruelty, beginning his reign by slaughtering dissident boyars. Eventually, however, Alexandru was poisoned by noblemen claiming to be loyal to him.