Nitra Castle, Nitra, Slovakia - SpottingHistory.com

Nitra castle was built in the 11th century on the place of an earlier fort. The core of the castle is St. Emmeram's Cathedral with the Bishop's residence, with several different parts. The oldest surviving part is the Romanesque Church of St. Emmeram from the 11th century. The other two parts of the cathedral are the originally Gothic Upper Church from the 14th century, and the Lower Church from the 17th century. Vazil´s Tower is another remaining part of the medieval fortification. According to a legend, Vazil, king Stephen´s nephew, was imprisoned in a dungeon supposed to be in the Tower´s underground.

The originally Gothic Bishop's Palace got its present Late Baroque appearance in the 18th century. There are also surviving parts of the castle fortifications, the majority of which were created in the 16th and 17th centuries and smaller part from the Middle Ages. The church is currently being remodeled.

References:

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User Reviews

Toma Marius (2 years ago)
Fortified church not a castel. But apparently it was the first Christian church in Slovakia.

Ainars Dominiks (2 years ago)
In Slovakia you can find a lot of castles and this is one of them. nice place to visit and enjoy some time in history. Beautiful views and amazing surroundings.

Katarina Krajanova (3 years ago)
Beautiful place, small so easy to see everything it offers. Some places were closed because "there were not enough tourists". That made me a bit disappointed since we were at least 30 people there at the same time...

Mira Demeter (3 years ago)
You must visit Nitra castle if you are visiting Nitra. It has wonderful views, you can see far away. You can also visit the church& around the castle. There’s also underground space to visit. There’s a small fee to pay,but worth it. There are toilets & a am all souvenir shop. You can get there with a buggy but it’s a bit stoney &loads of steps. There’s loads of events organised here. Definitely worth visiting, love the view.

Gino Fransman (3 years ago)
Beautiful, historic and well worth the effort to go here. The collections on display are exhibited in an underground tunnel-like structure, and for a small fee can be explored. The array of bishop vestments is impressive as you join the guided tour to the bell tower. The view from the top is stunning. Take some time to go into the church.

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Kirkjubøargarður

Kirkjubøargarður ('Yard of Kirkjubøur', also known as King"s Farm) is one of the oldest still inhabited wooden houses of the world. The farm itself has always been the largest in the Faroe Islands. The old farmhouse dates back to the 11th century. It was the episcopal residence and seminary of the Diocese of the Faroe Islands, from about 1100. Sverre I of Norway (1151–1202), grew up here and went to the priest school. The legend says, that the wood for the block houses came as driftwood from Norway and was accurately bundled and numbered, just for being set up. Note, that there is no forest in the Faroes and wood is a very valuable material. Many such wood legends are thus to be found in Faroese history.

The oldest part is a so-called roykstova (reek parlour, or smoke room). Perhaps it was moved one day, because it does not fit to its foundation. Another ancient room is the loftstovan (loft room). It is supposed that Bishop Erlendur wrote the 'Sheep Letter' here in 1298. This is the earliest document of the Faroes we know today. It is the statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes. Today the room is the farm"s library. The stórastovan (large room) is from a much later date, being built in 1772.

Though the farmhouse is a museum, the 17th generation of the Patursson Family, which has occupied it since 1550, is still living here. Shortly after the Reformation in the Faroe Islands in 1538, all the real estate of the Catholic Church was seized by the King of Denmark. This was about half of the land in the Faroes, and since then called King"s Land (kongsjørð). The largest piece of King"s Land was the farm in Kirkjubøur due to the above-mentioned Episcopal residence. This land is today owned by the Faroese government, and the Paturssons are tenants from generation to generation. It is always the oldest son, who becomes King"s Farmer, and in contrast to the privately owned land, the King"s Land is never divided between the sons.

The farm holds sheep, cattle and some horses. It is possible to get a coffee here and buy fresh mutton and beef directly from the farmer. In the winter season there is also hare hunting for the locals. Groups can rent the roykstovan for festivities and will be served original Faroese cuisine.

Other famous buildings directly by the farmhouse are the Magnus Cathedral and the Saint Olav"s Church, which also date back to the mediaeval period. All three together represent the Faroe Island"s most interesting historical site.

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