Preserved, originally gothic castle with renaissance superstructure on the elevated terrace of Zvolen basin, situated above the river Slatina in the center of Zvolen city
Interesting is the unusual solution of block building with a high attic and on the corners with circular bay windows. On the façade, there is a Gothic style from the 14th century - red-white blocking and edging of three-part windows. Renaissance superstructure - with the altered composition of the cladding of the facade, it retained distinctive elements of anti-Turkish defense, especially diverse firing points. There is a fortification around the castle. On the eastern side of the courtyard is a chapel, whose importance underlines the architecturally richly designed entrance portal with a pillared hall. The castle is reconstructed and restored.The Slovak National Gallery is located in the castle interior. Gothic sediments with tracery and original frescoes have been preserved in the arched passage of the castle. The chapel with the architectural elements of the late Gothic style, the knight's hall and the rooms vaulted on the middle column occupy a special place. Also impressive is the younger Baroque hall from the 18th century with wooden painted coffered ceiling.
- 1-courtyard with a porch
- 2-residential and farm wings
- 3-large Gothic hall
- 4-originally two-storey chapel
- 5-passage
- 6-arcade
- 7-well
- 8-fortified fort
- 9-guard house
- 10-entrance tower
- 11-captain's house
- 12-porch with arcades
The original four-winged building was built by King Louis I. the Great, probably in the years 1360-82 on the site of a small church. In 1424, King Sigismund donated the castle (and the Zvolen county) to his wife Barbora. In the years 1440-1450 and 1453-1462, the castle was the seat of Ján Jiskra. In 1462, after an agreement with the king, Jiskra's troops left the castle and the castle fell to the king again. In 1490, together with the mining towns and Zvolen County, it was given to Queen Beatrix. Later, the castle was owned by a wealthy Thurz family, who in 1490-1510 built an external fortification with bastions and also a captain's house. During the renaissance reconstruction in 1548, they removed the upper parts of both towers and created two floors of firing positions in the superstructure of the palace.
The impending Turkish danger required further strengthening of the castle by a massive cannon bastion on the west side. After the retreat of the Turks, the importance of the fortress decreased and in 1605 the castle fell into the hands of Štefan Bocskaya and in 1619 Gabriel Bethlen. A few years later, in 1626, the castle was owned by the Eszterházy family, who rebuilt it into a noble residence. Turkish troops rarely got to the castle, but in 1644 the castle was occupied by Juraj I. Rákóczi and in 1678 the castle was handed over to Imrich Thököly without a fight. In 1682, insurgents reached the walls until in 1703, they were expelled by the imperial troops led by General Schlický. In November 1703, Mikuláš Bercsényi appeared with the castle with about 15,000 soldiers. Simon Forgách's imperial army opposed him. After a fierce battle, the rest of the imperial army closed in the castle, from where Count Forg had secretly fled at night. The castle was then occupied by Bercsényi's rebel troops and owned until 1708, when the Turks were already in retreat throughout the territory.
When the seat of the county was transferred from Zvolen to Banská Bystrica, the castle lost its former significance and when the state bought it in 1805, it served various purposes - barracks, offices, schools, warehouses. In the years 1894-1906, the castle was repaired under the leadership of the Hungarian Monuments Commission. After 1956, there was an extensive monumental restoration, which returned the Gothic-Renaissance appearance to Zvolen Castle.
About King Louis and the Bear
The Zvolen forests have long been a popular hunting ground for Hungarian kings. Rich in wildlife and beautiful natural scenery lured many monarchs and nobles on adventures. One day, King Louis I also went to such a hunt. The king's heart leapt with joy as he had an extraordinary opportunity. However, he can attack the injured and exhausted animal himself. And all these eyes will roll when they learn that they have a king who killed a bear with his own hands and without help. The king, armed only with a spear, lunged at the animal. However, he overestimated his strength, because the bear was not at all as exhausted as it seemed at first glance. The attack repeated and maybe he would have killed the dear King Louis, if he had not been lucky from hell. At the last moment, his faithful servants came to his aid. Out of gratitude for saving lives, and perhaps as a sign of humility before the forces of nature, King Louis I had a hunting lodge built near Zvolen.
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