Muráň Castle
| Muráň Castle | ||
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 Refurbished entrance gate |
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| Creation time : | 13th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Muráň , Slovakia | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 45 ′ 31 ″ N , 20 ° 3 ′ 31 ″ E | |
| Height: | 935 m nm | |
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The castle Muráň ( Slovak Muránsky hrad , German rare Castle Muran , Hungarian Murany vár ) is the ruins of a hilltop castle in the middle of Slovakia above the village Muráň in Okres Revúca . The castle on Cigánka Mountain ( 935 m nm ) is the third highest castle complex in Slovakia and is located in the Muránska Planina Mountains , within the boundaries of the local national park .
Muráň Castle was built in the 13th century as a royal castle whose main task was to protect a regional trade route. In 1271 the complex is mentioned as castrum Mwran , but its appearance is no longer known due to a renovation in the 15th century, but it probably consisted of a large courtyard with several bastions. In the early 15th century, the castle was a meeting place for the Hussites who invaded the then Kingdom of Hungary . After their defeat, the castle was a royal property for a long time.
In modern times, the castle is associated with two owners, some of whom are mentioned in legends. The first was the robber baron Matthias Bašo (Slovak Matej Bašo ), who ruled from 1529 and with his group undertook raids in the counties of Kleinhont, Gemer and Spiš . After months of siege by the imperial army in 1548, Bašo was executed. After another period in royal possession, the Széchy family acquired the castle in the early 17th century. The owner Mária Széchy, also known as the "Venus of Muran", comes from this family. She had already divorced twice when she married Franz Wesselényi , later the Palatine , under whose leadership the castle was heavily rebuilt. In 1666 Wesselényi was involved in the magnate conspiracy against the new Emperor Leopold I and died a year later. In 1670 the imperial army again undertook a siege, which ended after five days, despite strong resistance from the castle garrison led by Mária.
1670–1683 the castle was occupied by a German garrison. Nevertheless, it was conquered by anti-Habsburg rebels, first by those of Emmerich Thököly and then also by Franz II Rákóczi . In 1720 the Koháry family acquired the castle, whose ownership later changed to the Coburg family, which ultimately remained owners until 1945.
The castle burned down in 1760 and has been abandoned since then.
Web links
- Description on hrady.sk (Slovak)
- Description on zamky.sk (Slovak)