Ľubovňa Castle

The origin of the Ľubovňa castle dates back to the second half of the 13th century, resp. to the beginning of the 14th century. The castle was established as a border guard castle, protecting trade routes to Poland. According to some sources (Menclová, Slivka, Čaplovič, Chalupecký) it was probably built around 1280 by the Polish prince Boleslav, who was the husband of Kunigunda, daughter of the Hungarian king Bel IV. At this time, a circular tower and a Gothic palace were built. At the beginning of the 14th century, the castle was expanded by another, east-facing palace, and further construction of the castle was accelerated by state changes after 1299 as well as the internal political struggles of the oligarchs against the central royal power. In the years 1308 - 1312 the castle belonged to the Omodej family, and from 1315 to the Druget family. According to other sources (Beňko, Fügedi, Števk) the castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century on the initiative of King Karol Róbert (the first written mention is from 1311, when it is mentioned under the name "Liblou"). And according to other sources, preserved among the people rather than a legend, the castle was founded by the nobleman Ľubovenský, who liked the place where the castle stands. The first administrators were the Omodej family, not Matúš Čák, as the literature states, he was only an ally of the Omodej family against the monarch, when they wanted to appropriate the castle, which they did not succeed, because Karol Róbert defeated the Omodej family in 1312.

It is further stated that the castle became the property of the Drugeth family in 1323. Determining the origin of the castle - at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century - has no effect on its layout or construction procedures, so most likely the castle looked as shown in the drawings of J. Česl.

In 1412, together with the 13th towns of Spiš and the estates of Ľubovňa and Podolínecký castles, it entered the Polish advance. The mayors of the reserved towns lived in Ľubovňa Castle. In 1432 and 1451 it was damaged during the Hussite wars, in 1553 it was almost destroyed by a large fire. Its restoration began in 1555 under the mayor Ján Boner, until 1557 it was enriched with Renaissance elements. The castle was extensively renovated and expanded, paying great attention to the anti-Turkish Renaissance fortress. In the years 1591 - 1745, the mayor of the reserved places was inherited by the Polish princely family Lubomirski, during which a number of construction works were carried out on the castle. They modified the buildings on the terrace of the second courtyard, on the southwest corner, repaired the former castle buildings and finished many of them with decorative attics. In the 17th century, the castle was enlarged and baroqued. In 1647 they built a chapel and built a third courtyard. In the years 1655-1661, Polish coronation jewels were kept here in front of the Swedes. In 1656, King John II of Poland visited the castle. Kazimír Vasa. In December 1683, King John III of Poland stopped at the castle. Sobieski after the defeat of the Ottomans near Vienna.

Wife of Albert III. and the mayor of the reserve towns, Mária Jozefína, ordered the castle to be repaired. The project was developed by Francesco Placidi in the middle of the 18th century, but did not materialize.

Under his leadership, only the reconstruction of the castle took place in the years 1746 - 1760. In 1768, Móric Beňovský was imprisoned here.

In 1772, the backed Spiš towns returned to Hungary. The castle ceased to be the seat of the mayor of the reserved towns and its importance declined. It was used as a barracks, later served as a warehouse, and finally in 1819 the state sold it to JF Raisz, whose family, however, released the castle to the city after 55 years, for costly maintenance. Even the town could not maintain the castle and therefore in 1883 it sold it. The new owner was the Polish count Zamoyski, who had the chapel and residential tract on the south terrace repaired in 1930. It was owned by the castle until 1945. Shortly after that year, the reconstructed building was used as a school in the spirit of the time. It was not until 1971 that archaeological and architectural research began at the castle, which briefly ceased after 1989, but is currently being repaired again. The latest addition is the roofing of the main tower and its gradual repair.