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{{Short description|Large castle site in eastern Slovakia}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
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{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
The ruins of '''Spiš Castle ''' (]: ''Spišský hrad'') in Eastern ] form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the village of ] in the region known as ], in ] ]. It was included in the ] list of ] in ] (together with the adjacent locations of ], ] and ]).
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Spiš Castle
| ensign =
| ensign_size =
| native_name = {{lang|sk|Spišský hrad}}
| type = Castle
<!-- images -->
| image = Spissky Hrad-LV-2.jpg
| caption = Spiš Castle
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map =
| map_caption = Location of Spiš Castle in Slovakia
| pushpin_map = Slovakia
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|49|00|02|N|20|46|06|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
<!-- location -->
| partof =
| location = ], ]
| nearest_town =
| country = Slovakia
<!-- stats -->
| ownership =
| operator =
| open_to_public =
| site_area = 41,426 sq. m.
| built = Twelfth century
| used =
| builder =
| materials = Masonry
| height =
| length =
| fate =
| condition =
| battles =
| events =
| garrison =
| occupants =
| website ={{URL|https://www.spisskyhrad.com/english/spis-castle/}}
| footnotes =
}}
The ruins of '''Spiš Castle''' ({{langx|sk| Spišský hrad}}, {{Audio|Sk-Spišský hrad.ogg|pronunciation}}; {{langx|hu|Szepesi vár}}; {{langx|pl|Zamek Spiski}}; {{langx|de|Zipser Burg}}) in eastern ] belong to six largest ]s sites in Slovakia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spiš Castle |url=http://www.spisskyhrad.sk/en.html|website=wwww.spisskyhrad.sk}}</ref> The castle is situated above the town of ] and the village of ], in the region known as ] ({{langx|hu|Szepes}}, {{langx|de|link=no|Zips}}, {{langx|pl|Spisz}}, {{langx|la|Scepusium}}). It was included in the ] list of ] in 1993 (together with the adjacent locations of ] and ]). The size of the castle area is 3,9 ha (39,000 m<sup>2</sup>). It is administered by the ] at ], a division of the ].


==History== ==History==
]
Spiš Castle was built in the ] on the site of an earlier Slavic castle. It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural centre of ]. Before ], it was owned by ], afterwards (] - ]) by the ] (Zápoľský) family, the ] family (]-]), the ] family (1638-1945), аnd (since ]) by the State.
]


===Origins===
Originally a ] stone castle with fortifications, a two-story Romanesque palace and a three nave Romanesque-] basilica were constructed in the area by the second half of the ]. A second extramural settlement was built in the ], by which the castle area was doubled. The castle was completely rebuilt in the 15th century; the castle walls were heightened and a third extramural settlement was constructed. A late Gothic chapel was added around ]. The Zápolyas performed late Gothic transformations, which made the upper castle into a comfortable family residence, typical of late Renaissance residences of the ] and ] centuries. In ], the castle burned down and has been in ruins since. The castle was partly reconstructed in the second half of the ], and extensive archaeological research was carried out on the site. The reconstructed sections house displays of the Spiš Museum.
], the last<Br>royal owner]]
Construction of the medieval castle on a travertine hill dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. The oldest written reference to the castle is from 1120. At the beginning it was a boundary fort placed at the northern frontier of ]. Afterwards, it became the seat of the head of Szepes county for many centuries. <ref>{{Cite web | title=Spišský hrad Castle - Slovakia.travel | url=https://slovakia.travel/en/spissky-hrad-castle#:~:text=Construction%20of%20the%20medieval%20castle,beginning%20of%20the%2012th%20century. | access-date=2024-12-21 | website=slovakia.travel}}</ref>
It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural center of ]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Setton |first1=Kenneth M. |title=The Papacy and the Levant (1204-1571): the Sixteenth Century from Julius III to Pius V |date=1984 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |isbn=9780871691613 |oclc=20475333|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EgQNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA315|accessdate=15 June 2023}}</ref> of the ]. Before 1464, it was owned by the ], until the time of ], then (until 1528) by the ] family, the ] family (1531–1635), the ] family (1638–1945), and (since 1945) by the state of ] and then ].


Originally a ] stone castle with fortifications, a two-story Romanesque palace and a three-nave Romanesque-] basilica were constructed by the second half of the thirteenth century. A second extramural settlement was built in the fourteenth century, by which the castle area was doubled. The castle was completely rebuilt in the fifteenth century; the castle walls were heightened and a third extramural settlement was constructed. A late Gothic chapel was added around 1470. The ] clan performed late Gothic transformations, which made the upper castle into a comfortable family residence, typical of late Renaissance residences of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
==Present day==
The castle is frequently used as a location for films, including '']'' (1996), ''Phoenix''<!-- not clear which film - the information sheet just calls it "Phoenix" -->, ], ], ].


===Decline and reconstruction===
== External links ==
The last owners of the Spiš Castle, the Csáky family, abandoned the castle in the early eighteenth century because they considered it too uncomfortable to live in. They moved to the newly built nearby village castles/palaces in Hodkovce near ] and ].
* {{sk icon}}
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In 1780, the castle was destroyed in a fire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spissky Hrad and Levoca|url=https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Spissky+Hrad+and+Levoca|website=World Heritage Site}}</ref> The cause of the blaze is unknown, but there are a few theories. One is that the Csáky family purposefully burned it down to reduce taxes as at the time additional taxes applied to roofed buildings. Another is that it was struck by lightning, which started the fire. A third is that some soldiers in the castle were making moonshine and in the process accidentally started the fire. Whatever the case, after the fire, the castle was no longer occupied and began to fall into disrepair.
{{commons|Spis Castle}}


The castle was partly reconstructed in the second half of the twentieth century, and extensive archaeological research was carried out on the site. The reconstructed sections house displays of the ], which is responsible for managing the castle,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.snm.sk/?spisske-muzeum-o-muzeu |title=Spišské múzeum -Poslanie a história múzea (Spiš Museum - mission and history of the museum) |author=<!--Not stated--> |language=sk|date=n.d. |website=] |publisher=Slovak National Museum |access-date=2 November 2020 |quote=}}</ref> and artefacts such as torture devices formerly used in the castle.

==Image gallery==
<gallery>
File:Spis Castle - Slovakia.jpg|Overall view of the castle
File:Spis Castle courtyard 01.JPG|Lower fortifications
File:Spis castle wall and tower.JPG|Wall and tower
File:Spisska nova ves...castle.jpg|View from east
File:Spis castle reconstruction.png|A reconstructed view of the castle at its zenith during the sixteenth century
File:Museum exposition in castle.jpg|Museum exposition in castle
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
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* {{in lang|pl}}

{{World Heritage Sites in Slovakia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spis Castle}}
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Latest revision as of 19:27, 21 December 2024

Large castle site in eastern Slovakia

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Spiš Castle
Spišský hrad
Spišská Nová Ves, Spiš in Slovakia
Spiš Castle
Spiš Castle is located in SlovakiaSpiš CastleSpiš Castle
Coordinates49°00′02″N 20°46′06″E / 49.00056°N 20.76833°E / 49.00056; 20.76833
TypeCastle
Area41,426 sq. m.
Site information
Websitewww.spisskyhrad.com/english/spis-castle/
Site history
BuiltTwelfth century
MaterialsMasonry

The ruins of Spiš Castle (Slovak: Spišský hrad, pronunciation; Hungarian: Szepesi vár; Polish: Zamek Spiski; German: Zipser Burg) in eastern Slovakia belong to six largest castles sites in Slovakia. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš (Hungarian: Szepes, German: Zips, Polish: Spisz, Latin: Scepusium). It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993 (together with the adjacent locations of Spišská Kapitula and Žehra). The size of the castle area is 3,9 ha (39,000 m). It is administered by the Spiš Museum at Levoča, a division of the Slovak National Museum.

History

Aerial photograph of the castle
Spiš castle - the central part

Origins

Matthias Corvinus, the last
royal owner

Construction of the medieval castle on a travertine hill dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. The oldest written reference to the castle is from 1120. At the beginning it was a boundary fort placed at the northern frontier of Kingdom of Hungary. Afterwards, it became the seat of the head of Szepes county for many centuries. It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural center of Szepes County of the Kingdom of Hungary. Before 1464, it was owned by the kings of Hungary, until the time of King Matthias Corvinus, then (until 1528) by the Zápolya family, the Thurzó family (1531–1635), the Csáky family (1638–1945), and (since 1945) by the state of Czechoslovakia and then Slovakia.

Originally a Romanesque stone castle with fortifications, a two-story Romanesque palace and a three-nave Romanesque-Gothic basilica were constructed by the second half of the thirteenth century. A second extramural settlement was built in the fourteenth century, by which the castle area was doubled. The castle was completely rebuilt in the fifteenth century; the castle walls were heightened and a third extramural settlement was constructed. A late Gothic chapel was added around 1470. The Zápolya clan performed late Gothic transformations, which made the upper castle into a comfortable family residence, typical of late Renaissance residences of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Decline and reconstruction

The last owners of the Spiš Castle, the Csáky family, abandoned the castle in the early eighteenth century because they considered it too uncomfortable to live in. They moved to the newly built nearby village castles/palaces in Hodkovce near Žehra and Spišský Hrhov.

In 1780, the castle was destroyed in a fire. The cause of the blaze is unknown, but there are a few theories. One is that the Csáky family purposefully burned it down to reduce taxes as at the time additional taxes applied to roofed buildings. Another is that it was struck by lightning, which started the fire. A third is that some soldiers in the castle were making moonshine and in the process accidentally started the fire. Whatever the case, after the fire, the castle was no longer occupied and began to fall into disrepair.

The castle was partly reconstructed in the second half of the twentieth century, and extensive archaeological research was carried out on the site. The reconstructed sections house displays of the Spiš Museum, which is responsible for managing the castle, and artefacts such as torture devices formerly used in the castle.

Image gallery

  • Overall view of the castle Overall view of the castle
  • Lower fortifications Lower fortifications
  • Wall and tower Wall and tower
  • View from east View from east
  • A reconstructed view of the castle at its zenith during the sixteenth century A reconstructed view of the castle at its zenith during the sixteenth century
  • Museum exposition in castle Museum exposition in castle

References

  1. "Spiš Castle". wwww.spisskyhrad.sk.
  2. "Spišský hrad Castle - Slovakia.travel". slovakia.travel. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  3. Setton, Kenneth M. (1984). The Papacy and the Levant (1204-1571): the Sixteenth Century from Julius III to Pius V. American Philosophical Society. ISBN 9780871691613. OCLC 20475333. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. "Spissky Hrad and Levoca". World Heritage Site.
  5. "Spišské múzeum -Poslanie a história múzea (Spiš Museum - mission and history of the museum)". Slovak National Museum (in Slovak). Slovak National Museum. n.d. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

External links

World Heritage Sites in Slovakia
Cultural Slovakia
Natural
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