Cachtice Castle
Encyclopedia
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
: Čachtický hrad, Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Csejte vára) is a castle ruin in Slovakia
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...
next to the village of Čachtice
Cachtice
Čachtice is a village in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in western Slovakia with a population of 3,630 .The village is situated between the Danubian Lowland and the Little Carpathians. It is best known for the ruins of the nearby Čachtice Castle, home of Elizabeth Báthory who is alleged to be the...
. It stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and has been declared a national nature reserve for this reason. The castle was a residence and later the prison of the Countess Elizabeth Báthory
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of Hungarian nobility. Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific serial killer in history, the number of murders has been debated...
, who is alleged to have been the world's most prolific female serial killer.
Čachtice was built in the mid-13th century by Kazimir as a sentry on the road to Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. Later, it belonged to Matúš Csák, the Stibor
Stibor of Stiboricz
Stibor of Stiboricz of Ostoja coat of arms was an aristocrat of Polish origin in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was a close friend of King Sigismund of Hungary who appointed him to several offices during his reign. For instance, between 1395 and 1401, then from 1409 to 1414 he was the voivode of...
family, and then to the famous Bloody Lady Elizabeth Báthory. Čachtice, its surrounding lands and villages, was a wedding gift from the Nádasdy
Nádasdy
The Nádasdy, also spelled Nadasdy in English, is a major Hungarian aristocratic family whose roots reach into the Middle Ages. Their motto is: "SI DEUS PRO NOBIS QUIS CONTRA NOS" . The Nadasdy family made a large contribution to the development of Hungarian printing...
family upon Elizabeth's marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy in 1575.
Originally, Čachtice was a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
castle with an interesting horseshoe shaped residence tower. It was turned into a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
castle later and its size was increased in the 15th and 16th centuries. A 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...
renovation followed in the 17th century. Finally, in 1708 the castle was captured and plundered by the rebels of Ferenc II Rákoci. It has been in decay since.
Čachtice Castle in pop-culture
Čachtice was used as the castle ruins set featured in the opening sequence of the 1996 fantasy movie DragonheartDragonheart
Dragonheart is a 1996 fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen. It stars Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer, and the voice of Sean Connery. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and various other awards in 1996 and 1997...
by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
starring Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
. Live album Channeling Of Lady Elizabeth Bathory by multigenre jam band Stefanik, Perny & Kollar feat. Kofi
Kofi
Kofi is a Twi and Akan day name and a given name for a boy born on a Friday, originating in Ghana. It may refer to:* Kofi , British lovers rock singer, born Carol Simms* John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, Former President of ghana...
was recorded in Višňové
Višnové
Višňové may refer to several places in Slovakia:*Višňové, Revúca District*Višňové, Nové Mesto nad Váhom District*Višňové, Žilina DistrictIt may also refer to Višňové , Czech Republic....
village, under Čachtice Castle
Cachtice Castle
The Čachtice Castle is a castle ruin in Slovakia next to the village of Čachtice. It stands on a hill featuring rare plants, and has been declared a national nature reserve for this reason...
in 2010.