Simontornya Castle, Simontornya, Hungary

Simontornya Castle tower was built in the 13th century by Simon (Son of Salamon) among the swamps of the Sió river. The name Simontornya means Simon's Tower. Nearly all owners of the castle made some alterations throughout the centuries. The Lackfi's built a new gothic wing in the 14th century, altered the old Tower, and added an arcaded loggia to the back-front. After the extinction of the House of Garai in 1482, the castle again belonged to Queen Beatrix, wife of Matthias Corvinus.

Mózes Buzlay, marshall of King Ulászló II improved the castle into a renaissance palace with the help of Italian masters and craftsmen from Buda. After Buzlays' death the castle was taken over by the Turks in 1545. This event marked the beginning of a new era with an emphasis on military requirements. During the nearly 150 years of occupation minor alterations and refinements were constantly being made.

Simontornya, the center of a sandjak was recaptured by Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden in 1686. In just two years (1702-1704) major alterations turned the castle into a fortress. During the revolution against the Habsburgs, led by Prince Francis II Rákóczi, Simontornya became the stronghold of the Kuruc rebels in southwest Hungary. The fortress was captured by the Austrian army in 1709 housing troops until 1717. The castle fortress was later donated to the House of Limburg-Stirum, but, after building a new a castle, they turned the old one into a barn. It has been used as a barn by all new owners until 1960, when archeological excavations started.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Vár tér 10, Simontornya, Hungary

See all sites in Simontornya

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Hungary

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
gotohungary.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Székesfehérvár Basilica Ruins (50 km)
Bory Castle (51,5 km)
Pipo Castle (11,5 km)
Öskü Church (58 km)
Savoy Castle (55 km)

User Reviews

fargobryce (15 months ago)
Good looking old castle, preserved but not completely rebuilt. Worth a visit.

Emily Davies (2 years ago)
Love it! Amazing castle with gorgeous views! Lovely staff and beautiful paintings!

Stephen Patrick (2 years ago)
A fairly small remnant of a bigger castle. The best views are from outside, looking at the courtyard with Renaissance features. If you are in a hurry don't bother going inside, but it only costs 1000ft and the coin exhibition is interesting. It would be nice if you could get up to the roof, but that level was closed. There is a "mini arboretum" nearby which is worth popping into, and a nice bakery just over the canal/river.

Dodo Dodo (4 years ago)
I would say it’s cute. But only that is all I can say. It’s tiny and nothing inside. The ticket is 1000 HUF a bit pricey. So if you are in the area and you’ve got 15 minutes: just go. But otherwise I couldn’t recommend it ?

Balazs Ujfalussy (5 years ago)
It is worth the trip here. Nice castle!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Simontornya Castle