The Castle of Hunedoara

Indeed, the castle has been donated in 1409 by King Sigismund of Luxemburg, the Hungarian king of that time, to Voicu and his family, of Romanian (Vallahian) origin, to reward their military ability and their fidelity towards the Hungarian Crown. Fortunately enough, the popularity of the Hunyadi family rose dramatically with the simple people, which helped them get into the Hungarian nobility pretty fast, thus escaping of the century-old rivalry between the Hunyadi family and the Drăculşti (both families of Valahian origin, the latter being rulers in Valahia).

 

The castle itself, or a citadel on the same place, dates back to the 13th century probably right after the Mongol invasion in 1241. In 1409, when its owner is changed, the citadel loses its role as a fortification, becoming now a manor house. Ioan Hunyadi, Voicu’s son, is the one who turns it into a place of residence, having also some military purposes. With the occurrence of fire arms within the Turkish army, Ioan Hunyadi leaves the strategical military purposes of the castle aside, as he recognises, that the citadel cannot be modified for defense purposes any more.

 

As because his military ability, Ioan Hunyadi becomes 1446 Governor for Hungary, under the still too young king, Vladislav the 4th. During this time, Ioan turns the citadel into a somptuous castle, the first of his additions being the chapel, next to the old house. This is one of the fewest elements of Romanian architecture in the area (to be noted, that Transilvania of that time was Hungarian, and that the area around Hunedoara was barely inhabited by Romanians, who had different regions in Transilvania of that time).

 

After the death of Ioan, Vladislav, turned of age of majoity and badly advised by the Hungarian nobility, lets to murder Ioan’s two sons, though it succeeds only with one of the two, Ludivic, while Matthias manages to escape to Bohemia. Vladislav did not have any heirs, so that, after his death, the Hungarian people wants Matthias on the throne of Hungary, somewhat against the will of the nobility. It succeeds, though, after his death, the castle changes owners several times, changed its functionality too, and between 1854 and 1868, it stays without a roof, as a result of a fire, being thus damaged in some areas.

Most legends of that time in the area of today’s Romania, include Turks and their misfortune when captured by the rival army. And indeed so, at that time, Turks, as a military power of the time and with their expansionist tendency, formed a real danger for the provinces building up today’s Romania and their neighbours at the time. It is of no wonder, that these provinces saw a relief in those tales. The fountain dates back to the period when the castle has been in the property of Ioan Hunyadi. The story goes, that after the battle in Belgrad, 1456, Ioan captures some Turks, two of whom he brings to his castle. He promised them their freedom, if they dig a fountain within the castle and fiind water. And indeed, they start working and 14 years later, they finish their task. Meanwhile, however, Ioan dies, as a result of the pest epidemy, that started just after the war. His wife, Elisabeta Sălăgianu, of Bulgarian origin, does not release them, as her husband promised, but orders their execution, because they presumably raised their voice at her. Before their death, they have been asked of one last wish they had, and one of them made use of it: he did want to write something on a wall in Arrabic script. It was granted to him, and later research translated the script: „Water we did fiind, though we did not fiind a heart."