Budatín Castle
Encyclopedia
The Budatín Castle is a castle in north-western Slovakia
, near the city of Žilina
, where the Kysuca river flows into the Váh
river.
Since 1487, the new owner of the castle was Gašpar Suňog (Hungarian:Gáspár Szunyogh), whose family owned it until the end of the 18th century. At the half 16th century, the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance
style. The Turkish threat from the south, and more uprisings at the beginning of the 17th century forced Suňogs to fortify the castle in the Renaissance style. At that time, the Gothic castle was changed into comfortable Renaissance palace. During the Baroque
in the 17th century, effort was concentrated on building a chapel and finishing various building of the castle and surrounding it by the park. After the Suňog family died, the new owners were the Csákys, who owned the castle until 1945. During the revolutions of 1848/1849
, imperial troops seriously damaged the castle, which was repaired in 1870, and was serving as a barracks. The park's size was reduced by the construction of Košice-Bohumín Railway
in 1872. The last major reconstruction was done in the 1922-1923, based on the historical and romantic motives. Today, the castle houses three exhibitions of the Považie museum.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, near the city of Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
, where the Kysuca river flows into the Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
river.
History
It was built as a guarding castle in the second half of the 13th century near the confluence of the Kysuca and the Váh, where tolls were collected. At the beginning of the 14th century, originally royal fortress passed into the hands of Matthew Csák and the castle, especially towers were fortified, and inside the fortress a new palace was built.Since 1487, the new owner of the castle was Gašpar Suňog (Hungarian:Gáspár Szunyogh), whose family owned it until the end of the 18th century. At the half 16th century, the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. The Turkish threat from the south, and more uprisings at the beginning of the 17th century forced Suňogs to fortify the castle in the Renaissance style. At that time, the Gothic castle was changed into comfortable Renaissance palace. During the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
in the 17th century, effort was concentrated on building a chapel and finishing various building of the castle and surrounding it by the park. After the Suňog family died, the new owners were the Csákys, who owned the castle until 1945. During the revolutions of 1848/1849
Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas
From March 1848 through July 1849, the Habsburg Austrian Empire was threatened by revolutionary movements. Much of the revolutionary activity was of a nationalist character: the empire, ruled from Vienna, included Austrian Germans, Hungarians, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Ruthenians,...
, imperial troops seriously damaged the castle, which was repaired in 1870, and was serving as a barracks. The park's size was reduced by the construction of Košice-Bohumín Railway
Košice-Bohumín Railway
The Košice–Bohumín Railway can refer to:*originally: A private railway company established in 1869 in Austria-Hungary. In 1924 the company was nationalised and put under the Czechoslovak State Railways....
in 1872. The last major reconstruction was done in the 1922-1923, based on the historical and romantic motives. Today, the castle houses three exhibitions of the Považie museum.