Castle of Diosgyor, Miskolc Northern Hungary
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On the wall of the castle a memorial plate commemorating the visit of the famous poet Sándor Petőfi to Diosgyor on July 8, 1847. He wrote his poem Alkony ("Sunset") here.
Castle Plays here are very popular, held twice every year (May and August). Reviving the Middle Ages, the reign of King Louis and events of Hungarian history, tournaments and open air plays are held, and there is a medieval fair next to the castle. An important musical event, the Kaláka Folk Festival is held on the second weekend of July each year.
The first castle was built in the 12th century and was destroyed during the Mongol invasion (1241–1242.) The castle that stands today was probably built by King Béla IV who, after the Mongols left the country, ordered a castle to be built on every hilltop. From a document listing the taxes paid by towns in 1330 it seems the town around the castle was one of the richest towns of the county. The castle had its prime during the reign of Louis I (Louis the Great). Its importance layed in standing near the road leading to Poland. The king had the castle rebuilt and modernised. The modernising of the castle was finished under the reign of Louis' daughter Mary. The castle was surrounded by a 4 metre deep moat.
In 1364 the nearby town Miskolc was annexed to the Diosgyor estate. In 1381 the Peace Treaty of Turin was signed in the castle of Diosgyor. In the treaty the Italian town of Venice was compelled to raise the flag of the Anjou dynasty on the St. Mark square every Sunday.
The castle lost some of its importance when the personal union between Hungary and Poland ended. For the next few centuries the castle was a holiday residence for queens. The last queen was Maria, wife of Louis II. She gave up the castle formally in 1546 (by this time it had been occupied by the ruling prince of Transylvania.)
When the Ottoman army began to occupy the southern territories of Hungary, the castle was fortified. Its owners, the Gyarmati Balassa family turned it into a large fortress and slim turrets were replaced by strong bastions. This was the last time the castle was rebuilt; after 1564 the owners changed frequently, and the castle slowly deteriorated.
This castle is part of our Miskolc Castle and Bath Tour. We have our special Easter Tour between 25-28 March. To sign up and see details of the tour click link below:
http://www.undiscoveredhungary.com/tours/26-miskolc-cave-bath-and-castle-tour