The Hunyad Castle or Castelul Corvinilor is the
family nest of the feudal house Hunyadi on a rock above the small river Zlaşti
in southern Transylvania, in the modern Romanian city of Hunedoara.
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Name:
Hunyad Castle
or Castelul Corvinilor Country: Romania
City: Hunedoara
Style: Gothic-Renaissance castle
Renaissance
Material: Brick
Construction:
1307-1315
Condition: restored and opened to the public
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| Attribution: Dasone, License |
In 1409, the castle and the surrounding land
were given to John Hunyadi's father, Voyk, by Sigismund, king of Hungary, as
severance. As one of the most important properties of John Hunyadi, the castle
was transformed during his reign. It became a sumptuous home, not only a
strategically enforced point. John Hunyadi implemented two phases of
restructuring and expansion of the castle and its surroundings. The first phase
took place in 1441-1446. And during that
time it was built seven towers: four round and three triangular. The second
stage took place in 1446-1453. During that time, the chapel was laid, as well
as it was built the main hall and the south wing with outbuildings.
After John's death, the castle passed to his
son Matthias (Matthias Corvinus). Under his order was built loggia in the north
wing (also known as the "Loggia Matthias"), completed a chapel and
continued work on decoration the castle. By that time castle has become a rare
facility in Eastern Europe, combining the elements in its appearance late
Gothic and early Renaissance.
Severe destruction of the castle Corwin were
caused by a fire in 1854, which effectively destroyed the monument of
architecture. Restoration work was carried out about a hundred years. The
current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken
after a disastrous fire and many decades of total neglect. It is a large and
imposing building with tall, peaked and diversely colored roofs, towers and
myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings. The castle fully
corresponds to fabulous views of castles. The current look of the castle bears
little resemblance to the one that was in the reign of John Hunyadi, however,
despite all the changes and reconstruction remained intact the hall of honor
"Neboisa", which means "Do not be afraid" in Serbian
language. This room is kept the same shape as six centuries ago.
In the castle yard, near the 15th-century chapel,
there is a well 30 meters deep. According to the legend, this fountain was dug
by twelve Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water.
After 15 years they succeeded and produced water, but their captors did not
keep their promise. They say that after that inscription appeared on the well:
"you have water, but not soul".
Hunedoara is a mandatory destination of those
who travel Romania on the trail of Count Dracula. It is said that the legendary
Vlad III of Wallachia (commonly known as Vlad the Impaler) lived here for a
while, and as a prisoner. Because of these links, the Hunyad Castle is sometimes mentioned as a source of inspiration
for Bram Stoker's Castle Dracula.
Interiors in its original form to this day have
not been preserved, but the castle is a museum, which exhibits a great deal to
tell us about medieval life. This are archaeological finds, ancient books,
decorative arts and arms. In the halls regularly holds temporary exhibitions
and concerts, including early music. In February 2007, Hunyad Castle played
host to the British paranormal television program Most Haunted Live! for a
three-night live investigation into the spirits reported to be haunting the
castle. Results were inconclusive.
In the preparation of
this article, were partially used materials of website: www.wikipedia.org, www.liveinternet.ru
and travellingboard.net
Very nice, thank you for interesting site. Castles like in fairytail. Hope to see Hunyad this summer.
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