Devecser and Sárvár updates
Today's update includes photos of two castles in Transdanubia that I was able to visit back in 1998. Both belonged to families that once were rather influential in Hungary: the Nádasdy and Esterházy families.
Although the Ottoman Empire was approaching the area SE of Devecser rather fast, its lord András Choron was able to build his castle with artistic value in mind. The remains of renaissance design and architectural elements testify his taste - and wealth. Miklós Esterházy came into possession of the castle and domain in 1626 and thus starting the 300 years long ownership of the Esterházy family. The castle was redesigned in 1790.
Following 1945 the castle became state property and later the town library and cultural centre found home in its spacious rooms.
In the area northeast of the castle one can find a nice garden that once belonged to the centre of the domain.
The Sárvár castle in its current form is mainly a product of a construction between 1588 and 1615. In these haydays the owners of the castle were two outstanding members of the Nádasdy family: Ferenc and Pál. They built a renaissance castle surrounded by a strong pentagonal wall fortified with bastions.
Posted on: January 15, 2009 13:29 (CET)