Bojnice Castle (Slovak: Bojnický zámok, Hungarian: Bajmóci
vár) is a medieval castle in Bojnice, Slovakia. It is a Romantic castle with
some original Gothic and Renaissance elements built in the 12th century.
Bojnice Castle is one of the most visited castles in Slovakia, receiving
hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and also being a popular filming
stage for fantasy and fairy-tale movies.
History
Bojnice Castle was first mentioned in written records in
1113, in a document held at the Zobor Abbey. Originally built as a wooden fort,
it was gradually replaced by stone, with the outer walls being shaped according
to the uneven rocky terrain. Its first owner was Máté Csák, who received it in
1302 from the King Ladislaus V of Hungary. Later, in the 15th century, it was
owned by King Matthias Corvinus, who gave it to his illegitimate son John
Corvinus in 1489. Matthias liked to visit Bojnice and it was here that he
worked on his royal decrees. He used to dictate them under his beloved linden
tree, which is now known as the "Linden tree of King Matthias". After
his death the castle became the property of the Zápolya family (see John
Zápolya). The Thurzós, the richest family in the northern Kingdom of Hungary
(now Slovakia), acquired the castle in 1528 and undertook its major
reconstruction. The former fortress was turned into a Renaissance castle. From
1646 on, the castle's owners were the Pálffys, who continued to rebuild the
castle.
Finally, the last famous castle owner from the Pálffy
family, Count János Ferenc Pálffy (1829-1908), made a complex romantic
reconstruction from 1888 to 1910 and created today's beautiful imitation of
French castles of the Loire valley. He not only had the castle built, but also
was the architect and graphic designer. He utilized his fine artistic taste and
love for collecting pieces of art. He was one of the greatest collectors of
antiques, tapestries, drawings, paintings and sculptures of his time. After his
death and long quarrels, his heirs sold many precious pieces of art from the
castle and then, on 25 February 1939, sold the castle, the health spa, and the
surrounding land to Ján Baťa (of the shoe firm Bata).
[Wiki]
