Smolenice Castle

Smolenice, Slovakia

Smolenice Castle was built in the 15th century, but it was destroyed during Rákóczi's War of Independence and Napoleanic wars. In 1777, Count János Pálffy from Pezinok inherited Smolenice but did not reside in the castle due to its poor condition and lack of money for rebuilding it. The castle was rebuilt in the 20th century by order of Count József Pálffy. The architect Jozef Hubert designed the new castle by using Kreuzenstein castle near Vienna as a model, and the works were controlled by the architect Pavol Reiter from Bavaria. During its construction there were masters from Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary, and 60 workmen from Smolenice and nearby villages. The main building has two wings and a tower, and is made of ferroconcrete.

The castle was damaged in the spring of 1945 during World War II, and in that same year the state became the owner of it. Some reconstructions have been made after 1950, and since June 26, 1953 the castle is property of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The castle serves now as a conference centre, and it is only opened to the public in summer season.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Zámocká 18, Smolenice, Slovakia
See all sites in Smolenice

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Slovakia

More Information

www.slovakia.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.kcsmolenice.sav.sk

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Ostrý Kamen Castle Ruins (4,5 km)
Korlátka Castle Ruins (7,7 km)


Bratislava Old Town (47,6 km)
Bratislava City Museum (47,6 km)
Bratislava Castle (48 km)
St. Martin's Cathedral (47,9 km)
Devín Castle (50,5 km)
Grassalkovich Palace (47,1 km)
St. Elisabeth Church (47,3 km)
Slavín Memorial Monument (47 km)
Schloss Hof (49,5 km)

User Reviews

Edgar Davey (8 months ago)
Very nice castle. Pretty and cozy
Philipp Martin Dingeldey (9 months ago)
Nice place to visit and hike, or attend weddings. Staff was really friendly. Rooms were very simple but good enough for a night's stay
Martin Melus (10 months ago)
Beautiful castle on a hill above the village Smolenice. It is owned by Slovak academy of sciences accessible for tourist only in summer months June till August. The either symbolic entry fee will give you a guided visit, that will lead you through the nicest places in the castle. The tour ends on the tower top after taking more than 100 steps with a breathtaking view on the land surroundong the castle.
Livia Handlovicova (11 months ago)
Beautiful castle. Great place for weddings, team building, etc. The accommodation can be very comfortable. Very nice views and beautiful nature.
IvanIV100 (11 months ago)
Really nice place to stop by if you are going around it. You can have a lunch there even thi the food id mediocre. There is option of castle tour which is really great ending with going to a tower with beautiful view.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg
Photo from Flickr, copyright Alexxx1979

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.