The Importance of King’s Landing and Harrenhal in the History of House of the Dragon

In the third episode of the new season of the series House of the Dragontwo things became clear. On the one hand, this war between the Targaryen factions is inevitable, unavoidable, and will be worse than either side imagines. On the other hand, Westeros will become a contested territory, the symbolic territories of which will ensure victory for both sides. This includes everything from the massive walls of King’s Landing to the Strongs’ inhospitable ancestral seat of Harrenhal.

It’s a twist that explores the world created by George R.R. Martin like never before. Game of ThronesThe War of the Five Kings showed how the various regions of the continent, as represented by the writer, are transformed into pieces of power. But in House of the DragonIt is about the symbolic value of each conquered castle, city or village. So the script goes through the entire map of the territory until it creates a strategic geography. The element that provides complexity to the story of this struggle between opposites facing each other for control over an increasingly confusing and chaotic territory.

To help you better understand the show’s seasonal plot, we’re leaving you with everything you need to know about the most important territories that will be at stake in the story. From the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, always shaken by what’s happening around the Iron Throne, to a territory that’s much more than it seems. It’s a journey – through the eyes of a dragon, so to speak – through all the places you’ll have to take into account in the midst of war. Moreover, its conquest may mean for one side or another in House of the Dragon.

Key capital of the House of the Dragon

Before any significant building was built in the region, the site where King’s Landing would later stand was often disputed. First by the kings of the Reach—the monarchs before Aegon I Targaryen’s invasion—and then, successively, by the people of the Riverlands and Stormlands. At the time, the future city and largest settlement in the kingdom was a desolate, wooded land, home to a small fishing village. And this is thanks to its proximity to one of the tributaries of the Blackwater River.

But once the Targaryens arrived on the continent, Aegon I decided that it would be the perfect enclave, as he had faced resistance during the conquest. So he built the first fortress out of wood and clay, which would house his wives/sisters, and also serve as the center of his military strategy. Once the conquest was complete, the new king decided that the fortress would also be the core of what he had in mind for his kingdom. To do this, he annexed nearby villages as his vassals and created what would later be called the Crown Lands.

As the centuries passed, the Targaryens took it as a family mission to expand the original city. Thus, the structure became larger, more complex, and more sophisticated. So did the old castle, which was renamed the Red Keep. The latter was built during the reign of Maegor, son of Aegon. Later, the Great Sept of Baelor and Dragonwell would be added to them. Despite all of the above, the city became necessary not only for the Targaryens (hence Otto Hightower’s insistence on maintaining its complete dominance), but also for the exercise of power. This, like the long hereditary line of kings, he left as a legacy.

Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros

As shown in the third episode of the new season of the series House of the Dragonthe ancestral home of the Strong, is of considerable interest to both green and black. In fact, the new Hand of the King, Ser Criston Cole, has decided to go with a group of nobles to seize the castle. On the other hand, Daemon Targaryen has made the same decision. The reason for the convergence of strategies? It is one of the most important points in the middle of the conflicted territory of Westeros.

Built by Harren the Black, the last King of the Isles and Rivers before the Conquest and the last member of House Hoare, it was the vanity project of an arrogant king. At least, that was the story told in Westeros when the extraordinary structure towered over the hills of the area. Harren set out to build the largest, the largest and most fortified castle on the entire continent. House of the Dragon tells part of his story.

Majestic castle in Westeros

Not only was he successful, but it was also a place that became a landmark in the exercise of power. Whereas the kings of Westeros had previously relied on the accumulation of land, Harren understood that a building that symbolized the heart of his family was a powerful way to mark his territory. What made the monarch into a cruel and repulsive figure, hungry for power, who controlled the territory with an iron fist.

This was the case until the arrival of Aegon Targaryen. The conqueror not only defeated Harren in the famous Battle of the Reeds, but also gained support in the region due to Harren’s tyrannical behavior. Later, Aegon I managed to seize the lands and territory, and turned the castle into a power point for various houses and lords.

Over the centuries I have moved from House Hoare, House Coheres, House Harroway, House Towers to House Strong. Finally, in The Dance of Dragons, he became the subject of a dispute between the Black Queen and the Greens of King’s Landing. Two very important places in the Game of Thrones universe and especially in House of the Dragon.