Spis "Castle

Its history is also rich. The rock on which it spreads was inhabited as early as the Late Stone Age. Prehistoric settlement, however, culminates at the turn of our era, when a huge and massive fortified stronghold of the people, the so-called Púchov culture. Its ramparts were discovered by archaeologists during recent archaeological research. However, they also found the dwellings of peasants and craftsmen and a large cult object. From the extent, the method of fortification and the organizational structure, it can be assumed that at that time there was already the administrative center of Central Spiš. The ramparts, still noticeable in the terrain, surrounded the entire castle and passed through its largest courtyard. After the demise of this fortified settlement, another strong fortified settlement was established on the neighboring hill, on Dreveník. Only after it does the construction of today's Spiš Castle begin.

The history of Spiš Castle and its architectural development has been substantially corrected and supplemented by thorough archaeological and architectural research, which has been carried out here for about ten years. Perhaps his most important finding was that he found and made it possible to date the oldest architecture of the castle, the circular residential tower (which disappeared in the first half of the 13th century), built in the 11th-12th centuries. century. Around the third of the 13th century, today's circular tower, Romanesque palace and other parts of the upper castle were built. As castles, including Spiš Castle, proved to be excellent during the Tartar invasion, Belo IV supported. the construction of castles and in 1249 he donated a place to the Spiš post office in Spiš Castle so that he could build a tower and a palace. This is how the so-called Prepost Palace, recently discovered as the first extension to the original castle. Already at that time, but especially in the second half of the 13th century, many battles took place around the castle. After all, the castle became the center of the royal county. It often housed important dignitaries. In 1275 he was fascinated by a certain comet Roland, who revolted against the monarch. Then it belonged to Queen Elizabeth Kumánská, mother of Ladislav IV. The castle was also fought for in the first half of the 14th century. In 1312, Matúš Čák Trenčiansky wanted to conquer it, but the castle defended itself. Shortly afterwards, it was rebuilt and expanded in Gothic style.

In 1443 it was acquired by Ján Jiskra from Brandýs, who fought for the rights of Ladislav Pohrobek. First, he built a small fortified fortress on the hillside below the castle, then he had the fortifications of a large courtyard built. Thus, the castle slowly took on its current size and appearance. An important historical milestone for the castle was the year 1464, when the monarch donated this still royal castle to the nobles Imrich and Štefan Zápoľský. It is interesting that despite the fact that the Zápoľ family owned more than 70 castles, they considered Spiš Castle to be their tribal castle and also lived in it. It was significantly modernized and completed. They built a new chapel, raised and strengthened the tower, modified the Romanesque palace in the Gothic spirit, while employing the same stonemasons who built their funeral chapel in the Spiš Chapter. The last Hungarian king before the Habsburgs, Ján Zápoľský, was also born at the castle. He was also its last owner of this family, because when he lost the fight for the Hungarian throne, the Habsburgs confiscated the castle in March 1528. But already in 1531 it was donated to Alexius Turz. The Turz family also adapted the castle to their needs and gave many of its buildings a Renaissance character. When they died out in the male line in 1636, the castle was acquired by the Csáky family, who owned it until 1945. True, they lived in it only until the end of the 17th century, because since the beginning of the 18th century the Csáky family built comfortable mansions in Hodkovce. in Bijacovce, Kluknava and elsewhere and settled there.

They also used many building elements from the castle to build these mansions. Only the military garrison remained at the castle, but it left it after the fire of 1780. Since then, the castle has been a ruin. Only in recent years, after thorough research, has it been repaired, preserved and some parts have been reconstructed. The lower courtyard was opened to the public in 1983.

When we enter the castle from Hodkoviec, we first notice the ingenious fortification of the former main gate. Today, standing masonry columns were originally connected by logs, and formed the first line of defense. Behind them was a deep moat, then a high wall creating a barrier. This is how we get to the tower with a Gothic gate from the 15th century, in front of which was a gorge. The gate could be closed not only by a drawbridge, but also by a strong net that could be lowered from above. The gate was already in its place in the 14th century. In the middle of the middle courtyard, which we get to, stood the house of a half-ship, around the walls were the dormitories of the crew and at the back of the granary. On the left, a strong gate leads to the lower large courtyard. Before it was built, a barbican stood in front of this gate, ie a tower that had to be crossed to get to the gate. The large courtyard, built around the middle of the 15th century, not only served to protect the troops camped here, but could also provide protection for a large number of the surrounding population.

In its lower part, the foundations of a circular object are conspicuous. It was a residential tower built in the first half of the 15th century, protected by a massive moat and a wooden palisade. It also partially served as a weapons depot. After the construction of the walls of the courtyard, it partially lost its function as a fortress. From the inner sides of the walls of the courtyard were farm buildings. A part of the rampart of the Púchov fortified settlement passes through this courtyard.

We will return to the middle courtyard and ascend the steep path through the gate to the Romanesque fort, a large part of which was buried before the research. In front of us we see the remains of the prepost's palace, then the place where the mill stood and a small cave carved into the rock. On the other side is a relatively well-preserved Romanesque gate through which we get to the upper castle. Later, another gate led to the upper castle, which seems to open into the air. It was originally accessible via a wooden structure

The upper castle is, of course, the oldest and most valuable part of the castle. Immediately opposite the entrance, a cistern is sunk into the rock, connected to the surface only by a narrow opening. On the right we get to the already mentioned Romanesque gate, in front of it are the walls coming from the last building modifications of the castle in the 18th century. On the other side are the original Gothic and Renaissance residential buildings of the owners and users of the castle, now converted into viewing areas with magnificent views of the surrounding area. Preserved Gothic and Renaissance portals and windows speak of the representativeness of the original spaces. In the middle of the space is a donjon - a circular tower, dating from the middle of the 13th century, originally accessible only from the height of the first floor. Behind it is a massive masonry of a round building, considered until recently a cistern. However, these are the remains of the destroyed original castle tower from 11-12. century. It disappeared in the first half of the 13th century due to the destruction of the subsoil, when a large crack formed in the rock. The arcades connect today's tower with a Gothic chapel from the 15th century, behind which is the most valuable part of the castle, a massive, originally three-storey Romanesque palace, which was in the 15th-16th century. century gothic modified. From the original architecture, the most beautiful are the delicate columns of the associated Romanesque windows with capitals. The builders of these buildings were stonemasons from northern Italy in the 13th century. During the research, an excavated rectangular pit was found near today's tower, which could serve as a cistern or as an ice house.

Price list:

8 € adults,
6 € students 19-26 years and pensioners,
4 € children 6-18 years,
€ 19 family ticket (maximum 4 people, in a combination of 1 adult and 3 children or 2 adults and 2 children).
0 € photo, 0 € video.

By car, access to free parking is a 10-minute walk from the castle gates (drive from Hodkoviec).
The walk from Spišské Podhradie to the main gate takes 1 hour.