Hunyad Castle

:"For the castle in Budapest, Hungary, see "Vajdahunyad Castle." For the castle in Timişoara, Romania, see "Huniade Castle."

The Hunyad Castle (Romanian: "Castelul Huniazilor" or "Castelul Corvineştilor", Hungarian: "Vajdahunyad vára") is a castle in present-day Hunedoara, Romania.

It is a relic of the Hunyadi dynasty. In the 14th century, the castle was given to a Vlach (Romanian) knyaz "Serb", or "Sorb" by the Zsigmond king of Hungary as severance, restored between 1446 and 1453 by John Hunyadi. It was built in Gothic style, but has Baroque and Renaissance architectural elements. It features tall and strong defence towers, an interior yard and a drawbridge.

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 purported to be haunting the castle.

Built in the 14th century, on the place of an old fortification, on a rock below which flows the small river Zlasti, the castle is a large building, with tall and diversely coloured roofs, towers, windows and balconies adorned with carvings in stone. Being one of the most important properties of Iancu de Hunedoara, the castle was transformed during his ruling. It became a sumptuous home, not only a strategically enforced point. With the passing of the years, the masters of the castle had modified its look, adding towers, halls and guest rooms. The gallery and the keep - the last defence tower (called "Ne boisa" = Do not be afraid), which remained unchanged from Iancu de Hunedoara's time, and the Capistrano Tower (named after the francescan monk from the castle court) are some of the most significant parts of the construction. Other significant parts of the building are the Knights' Hall (a great reception hall), the Club Tower, the White bastion, which served as a food storage room, and the Diet Hall, on whose walls medallions are painted (among them there are the portraits of Matei Basarab, ruler from Wallachia, and Vasile Lupu, ruler of Moldavia). In the wing of the castle called the Mantle, a painting can be seen which portrays the legend of the raven from which the name of the descendants of Iancu de Hunedoara, Corvini came. In the castle yard, near the chapel built also during Iancu de Hunerdoara's ruling, is a well 30 meters deep. The legend says that this fountain was dug by three Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water. After 15 years they completed the well, but their captors did not keep their promise. It is said that the inscription on a wall of the well means "you have water, but not soul". Specialists, however, have translated the inscription as "he who wrote this inscription is Hasan, who lives as slave of the giaours, in the fortress near the church".

External links

* [http://historicaltextarchive.com/hungary/vajdh.html Information and images at "Historical Text Archive"]
* [http://www.castelulcorvinilor.ro Information and images about Hunyadi Castle at "Castelul Corvinilor"]
* [http://www.karpatok.info/fenykeptar/vajdahunyad/index.htm Panoramic images about the castle (www.karpatok.info)]