Trenčín Castle

Trenčín Castle

Trenčín Castle, Slovakia The castle was built over a settlement site that had existed from the Bronze Age through times of Celts and Germanic tribes to the Slavic settlement. In the times of the origins of the Ugrian state a royal castle had developed out of the older Great Moravia hill-fort-roost.The oldest stone construction of the castle is the pre-Romanesque rotunda, which dates back to Great Moravia period. At the end of 11th century a stone tower was erected (donjon,bergfrid). One story and a ghotic brick coat were added after 1270. By its conic convergence toward the peak, it represents a singular feature of the castle architecture. It is a midpoint of the castle acropolis and the most dominant part of the city skyline. Within a short distance, individual castle palaces were built. The palaces were connected to the extension function of the castle - first as a defense function then as an administrative and residential function. It is thought that Matúš palace is the oldest palace, built at the beginning of the 14th century, from which, however only one wall has been preserved. Today, the wall is a part of the Barbora palace. The castle was the seat of Matúš Čak of Trencin (around 1260-1321), who made it his residential castle and the center of his extensive domain called “Matúš’s land” or Terra Mathei. Matúš Čák of Trencin, at that time, the most powerful Ugrian magnate, ruled over the whole Slovakia and a sizeable part of the Zadunajsko region.  www.trencin.sk

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