The construction of the Făgăraş Fortress began during the 14th century, and continued steadily up to the middle of the 18th century. During the 16th century the defence military fortress turned into a fortified feudal castle by Ştefan Mailat (1528 - 1541). During the 17th century the Transylvanian princes Gabriel Béthlen (1613 - 1629) and Gheorghe Ráckozi I (1630 - 1648) increased and embellished the castle, giving it the present form and sizes. Over the time the constructions functioned as: defence military fortress, princely residence, barracks for the Austrian troops, prison (1948 - 1962). In 1936, "ASTRA" took over the ethnographic collection of ...the historian Valer Literat. The museum department established in the Făgăraş Fortress in 1968 and in time affiliated to Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu, merged with the City Museum in 1973. The new institution was named "Făgăraş Fortress" Museum. Since 1981 it has borne the name of the Museum of Făgăraş Land. The museum collections include archaeological finds, coins, documents on the Middle Ages and modern history of Făgăraş Country, fine arts, decorative art, folk craftsmanship items (pots, cloth, fabrics, fur coats), glass icons, folk interiors, Saxon civilization items, etc. The valuable exhibits include: Roman parade mask from the 2nd - 3rd centuries, mediaeval hoard from the 14th - 17th centuries, discovered in the village of Părău, the Virgil Fulicea sculpture gallery (donation).