.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Romanian. (May 2016) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Romanian article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 328 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Romanian Wikipedia article at [[:ro:Castelul Martinuzzi]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|ro|Castelul Martinuzzi)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
Martinuzzi Castle ruins
Martinuzzi Castle
George Martinuzzi was assassinated by General Castaldo within the castle walls in December 1551

Martinuzzi Castle, also known as Alvinc Castle,[1] is a medieval castle in Vințu de Jos, in the Transylvania region of Romania. The fortress was one of the earliest and most influential works of the Italian Renaissance style in Transylvania.[2][3] Its ruins are classed as a national heritage site, identified as AB-II-m-B-00394 in Romania's National Register of Historic Monuments.

History

Notable events

In the night of 16–17 December 1551 George Martinuzzi was assassinated within the castle walls by General Giovanni Battista Castaldo.[1]

On 9 May 1595 Aaron the Tyrant was imprisoned and later poisoned here.[4]

In 1601 the Italian architects Simone and Fulvio Genga were accused of political intrigue and assassinated in the castle's dungeons by General Basta.[4]

In 1680, Metropolitan Sava Brancović was imprisoned by Michael I Apafi in the castle's dungeons.[4]

Between 1658 and 1661 the fortress was damaged by Ottoman and Tatar attacks.[4]

In 1715 the castle was owned by Transylvania's Roman Catholic Church, functioning as episcopal summer residence. In 1792, while occupied by Ignác Batthyány, the property caught fire and was later repaired.

During Romania's communist rule, the castle continued to deteriorate, having been used as industrial storage, granary and as a meat processing plant. Northern parts of the structure collapsed in 1981.[4]

After the Romanian Revolution, the castle was abandoned and the ruins are facing imminent collapse.[5]

Mythology

Oral tradition suggests that Castaldo assassinated Martinuzzi in an attempt to recover a stash of ancient coins, which the cardinal was rumoured to have acquired from local fisherman and hidden in the castle.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b István Keul (2009). Early Modern Religious Communities in East-Central Europe: Ethnic Diversity, Denominational Plurality, and Corporative Politics in the Principality of Transylvania (1526–1691). Leiden / Boston, 2009. Brill. p. 85
  2. ^ Dora Wiebenson, József Sisa, Pál Lővei (1998). The Architecture of Historic Hungary. MIT Press. p. 67.
  3. ^ Ahmet Ersoy, Maciej Górny, Vangelis Kechriotis (2010). Modernism: Representations of National Culture. Central University Press. p. 370
  4. ^ a b c d e f Marinela Brumar (author), Diana Dumitru (editor), "REPORTAJ Castelul Martinuzzi de la Vințu de Jos, unul dintre cele mai periclitate monumente istorice – AGERPRES", Agerpres.ro, archived from the original on 2 February 2017, retrieved 9 May 2016 ((citation)): |author= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ Dorin Timonea (6 February 2015), "Legendele castelului Martinuzzi din Vințu de Jos, locul unde împărăteasa Maria Tereza își ucidea iubiții", Adevărul, retrieved 9 May 2016

External links

45°59′50″N 23°28′44″E / 45.9972°N 23.4789°E / 45.9972; 23.4789

Castles in Romania
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