Scientists discover mysterious inscription on ancient tomb that could reveal Count Dracula's final resting place

Scientists think they've discovered where Count Dracula's final resting place is -- and, spoiler alert, it's not in Romania.

Prince Vlad Tepes of Wallachia, widely known as Count Dracula, or Vlad the Impaler, may be buried in another European country, according to a new attempt at deciphering a tomb epigraph.

According to a team of researchers, an inscription on a tomb found in Naples, Southern Italy, indicates that the burial site contains the remains of the 'Impaler'.

As the Romanian prince was known by this sobriquet for his preferred way to deal with his enemies, it didn't take long to put two and two together and muse that Dracula is buried in Naples.

According to this new theory, the remains of Count Dracula are located in the monastery complex of Santa Maria La Nova, a now-deconsecrated church initially constructed in Gothic style. The site where the church lies today was first granted to Franciscan friars in 1297, though the church was only completed in 1620 due to Naples' frequent earthquakes and a devastating explosion originating from Castel Sant'Elmo, a medieval fortress located in the hilly neighbourhood of Vomero, in 1587.

Prince Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler, lived between 1428/31 and 1476/77. (Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images)

As reported by Italian newspaper Il Mattino, the inscription on a tomb in Cappella Turbolo - tucked away in Santa Maria La Nova - seems to validate the hypothesis that Vlad III, aka the main inspiration behind Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, could be buried in Italy.

This theory isn't new, however. Back in 2014, Italian researchers, with support from academics in Tallinn, Estonia, first suggested that Prince Vlad's remains could be found in Naples after analysing some decorative elements of a tomb in the Turbolo chapel.

The epigraph included the depiction of a dragon and symbols of Egyptian origin that first caught the eye of researchers. In medieval Romanian, Dracula is the genitive form of Dracul, meaning that Vlad was the son of Dracul, a monicker his father received after he became a member of the Order of the Dragon.

Cappella Turbolo is tucked away in Santa Maria La Nova, located in Naples' historical centre. (Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Now, scientists seem to have identified some key words in the inscription decorating the Turbolo chapel that could link the tomb to Vlad, meaning he was never beheaded after his death in battle in 1476.

The tomb sports some Latin-like inscription, including the words 'Blad,' interpreted as 'Vlad,' and 'Balkan,' the region he once ruled.

As attempts to locate Vlad's grave in Romania were never conclusive, a new theory suggests that Vlad was captured by the Ottomans and later freed by his daughter, Maria Balsa.

Balsa had been adopted by a noble family in Naples to escape persecution. After Vlad III's death, she is said to have buried him in the tomb of her father-in-law, Matteo Ferrillo, inside the Turbolo chapel.