Property of the princes of Wallachia in the 13-14C, the fortress was altered in the 16C by Transylvanian warlord Ştefan Mailat, then under the reign of Prince Gábor Bethlen in Transylvanian Renaissance style. The castle's heyday was when it became the residence of Prince Mihai II Apafi. Used by the Austrians for military purposes and as a prison during the Communist regime, it has now risen from its ashes and is home to the Museum of Fagaras.