Pustý hrad
| Pustý hrad | ||
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 Aerial view of the castle area |
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| Creation time : | 9th century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Zvolen | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 33 '25 " N , 19 ° 6' 35" E | |
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Pustý hrad (literally: Desert Castle) is a ruined castle above the town the name Zvolen (dt. Altsohl ) in the central Slovakia , on a wooded hill overlooking the confluence of Slatina in the Hron ( Gran ). In Slovak today it is also referred to as Starý Zvolenský hrad or Starý Zvolen to clearly distinguish it from the later built Altsohl Castle (which is often incorrectly called Zvolenský hrad ).
The 7.6 hectare area of the castle was already settled in the Bronze and Iron Ages and the first fortifications date from this time. Artifacts of the Lausitz and Puchau cultures were also found. A Slavic castle was built in the 9th century.
After the conquest by the Magyars , the area became part of the Kingdom of Hungary and a center of the new Sohl County . One of the older objects is the stone tower from the 12th century, when the castle was in royal possession. The castle was divided into the upper castle built in the 12th and 13th centuries, the lower castle built in the 14th century and a central part that connected the two castles. In contemporary sources the castle is called Zolum sub Castro Polona (1246), Zoulum (1254), castro de Zolyo (1323).
Because of its separated location and the unfavorable access from the trade routes, the castle was no longer attractive since the end of the 14th century and was almost completely destroyed in a fire in the middle of the 15th century.
An archaeological investigation began in 1992 and continues to this day. As part of this, some objects were rebuilt.
Web links
- A page about the castle and archaeological research (Slovak)
- Description of the castle (Slovak)
- Short description and access (English)