Corvin Castle or Corvinilor Castle, also called Huniazilor or Hunedoara Castle, is the medieval fortress of Hunedoara, one of the most important monuments of Gothic architecture in Romania.
The rock castle was built on the remains of a fortification from the 14th century. It is located on a limestone rock in the middle of an industrial complex in the southwestern part of the city of Hunedoara in Romania.
The castle was built by the noble Hunyadi family. In the 14th century, King Sigismund of Hungary presented it to Janos Hunyadi Serb. The castle was restored in the period 1446-1453 by his grandson Janos Hunyadi.
It is built mainly in Gothic style, but there are also elements of Renaissance architecture. There are tall and strong defensive towers, a courtyard and a drawbridge. Built on an older fortification and on a rock above the river Zlasht, Hunyadi Castle is a large and prominent building with high, colored roofs, towers, countless windows and stone-carved terraces.
The castle comprises several parts: the Gothic Palace with the Knights’ Hall and the Diet Hall, the Suspended Gallery and the Neboisa Tower, the Chapel, the Matia Loggia and the Buzdugan Tower.
In 1956-1968 some series of restoration work was carried out, and in 1974 the castle was opened to visitors as a museum. Tourists are taken to the castle along the gigantic bridge, they are shown a vast hall for knights’ feasts and two towers, one of which bears the name of the monk John Capistranus, and the second – the romantic name “Do not be afraid”.
The castle is often rented out as a film set. A large number of Romanian and international film productions have already been shot there.It is considered one of the most beautiful castles in the world, being located In the “top 10 fairytale destinations in Europe”. and is the most visited medieval castle in Romania, with over 300,000 annual visitors.
Access : Coordinates: 45.749167, 22.888333 / The monument is located in the center of Hunedoara county, in the southwestern part of Hunedoara Municipality, on the last eastern branches of the Poiana Ruscă mountains.
Highlights :
- The gallery and the dungeon – the last defensive tower (called “Nebojsa”, from Church Slavonic: “Do not be afraid”), remain unchanged since the time of Janos Hunyadi, and with the Capistrano tower (named after the Franciscan monk, he fought in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456 d.) are some of the most remarkable buildings in the castle.
- Other important buildings are the Knights’ Hall (large reception hall), the Mace Tower, the White Fortress (used as a room for storing provisions) and the Assembly Hall, whose walls are painted with portraits of various rulers (among them Matthew Besarab , Prince of Wallachia and Vasil Lupu, Prince of Moldova). In the wing of the castle, called the “Mantle”, you can see the portrait of the raven, from which the heirs of Hunyadi took their surname – Corvinus.
- The castle museum was opened in 1974. At the beginning it housed medieval pieces. The collections were later expanded to include archeology, ethnology, decorative arts and old books.
- A tour of the castle including a museum visit or a rental for commercial films is possible by prior arrangement. The castle is open to the public all year round. Special tours for individuals and groups are offered. The same applies to photo and film recordings. Medieval events and festivals are held regularly on the castle grounds.
- Legends : It is believed that Vlad III of Wallachia (better known as Vlad the Impaler, ie “the impaler” or Vlad Dracula) was held as a prisoner for 7 years after falling from power in 1462.
- In February 2007, Hunyadi Castle was ghost-tested in the British paranormal series “Most Haunted Live!” For a three-day investigation into the ghosts said to inhabit the castle. The results are unconvincing.
- Hunedoara Castle as a filming location: for the video film Dragonheart: The Battle of the Heart of Fire released in 2017 / For the film The Nun, released in 2018 (spin-off of Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case released in 2016 / For sequences from the beginning of the film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance with Nicolas Cage / For the film Fright Night 2 released on October 1, 2013 / For the TV movie in five episodes Les Rois maudits, in 2005.
Go next : Hunedoara , a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains.
