Murán Castle
Encyclopedia
Muráň Castle is a ruin of a medieval castle
situated above the village of Muráň
, in the Muránska planina National Park
in Slovakia
. The castle is noteworthy for its unusually high altitude of 935 m. It also figures in several romantic legends about its remarkable owners. Muráň Castle was built in the 13th century on a cliff overlooking a regional trade route. Its name was mentioned for the first time in 1271 ("arx Mwran").
One of its owners, the robber baron
Matúš Bašo, transformed the castle into a stronghold of bandits who robbed merchants and looted villages. After a siege
by the royal army, the castle fell in 1548 and Matúš Bašo was executed.
Another famous owner was Maria Széchy, better known as "The Venus of Muráň". This astonishingly independent woman divorced her second husband to marry the love of her life – magnate
Ferenc Wesselényi
. When Wesselényi
was besieging Muráň Castle, which was occupied by her relatives at the time, she even managed to get his soldiers inside through trickery. In 1666, Wesselényi
organized a failed coup against Leopold I
, but he died before any major confrontation. Subsequently, Maria Széchy bravely led a defense of the castle against Imperial troops. Outnumbered, she eventually surrendered to Charles of Lorraine
in 1670.
The castle was damaged by fire in 1760.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
situated above the village of Muráň
Murán
Muráň is a village and municipality in Revúca District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.-Geography:The village is located around 9 km north of Revúca, in the Muráň river valley. The Muráň Plateau is located north and west of the village, with the governing body of the Muránska planina...
, in the Muránska planina National Park
Muránska planina National Park
Muránska planina National Park is one of the youngest national parks in Slovakia. It is situated in Central Slovakia, in the districts of Brezno and Revúca, in the Banská Bystrica Region...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The castle is noteworthy for its unusually high altitude of 935 m. It also figures in several romantic legends about its remarkable owners. Muráň Castle was built in the 13th century on a cliff overlooking a regional trade route. Its name was mentioned for the first time in 1271 ("arx Mwran").
One of its owners, the robber baron
Robber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
Matúš Bašo, transformed the castle into a stronghold of bandits who robbed merchants and looted villages. After a siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
by the royal army, the castle fell in 1548 and Matúš Bašo was executed.
Another famous owner was Maria Széchy, better known as "The Venus of Muráň". This astonishingly independent woman divorced her second husband to marry the love of her life – magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
Ferenc Wesselényi
Ferenc Wesselényi
Count Ferenc Wesselényi de Hadad et Murány was a Hungarian military commander and the palatine of the Royal Hungary.-Life:...
. When Wesselényi
Ferenc Wesselényi
Count Ferenc Wesselényi de Hadad et Murány was a Hungarian military commander and the palatine of the Royal Hungary.-Life:...
was besieging Muráň Castle, which was occupied by her relatives at the time, she even managed to get his soldiers inside through trickery. In 1666, Wesselényi
Ferenc Wesselényi
Count Ferenc Wesselényi de Hadad et Murány was a Hungarian military commander and the palatine of the Royal Hungary.-Life:...
organized a failed coup against Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, but he died before any major confrontation. Subsequently, Maria Széchy bravely led a defense of the castle against Imperial troops. Outnumbered, she eventually surrendered to Charles of Lorraine
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
in 1670.
The castle was damaged by fire in 1760.