Sânpaul Castle

Sânpaul (Hungarian: Kerelőszentpál, Szentpál; German: Paulsdorf) is a commune in Mureş County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located on Mureş River, 20 km west from Târgu-Mureş.

Sânpaul village was documentary attested in 1332 as Sancta Paulo, in the 'Târnava Minor Archdeaconry Register', page 614, where is noted that Szent Pál village paid between 1332-1337 a contribution of 40 dinars to Vatican. It seems that at the time existed already here a fortification made of stone and wood - in another document it is reminded that in 1263 people of Kerelew (Chirileu, a village belonging to Sânpaul commune) were send to defend the citadel.

The first castle was built by Count Alardi Ferenc, at an unknown date. The first owner of the village was Szentpáli Mihály. When all his heirs died, the village was taken by one of the sons of King Matthias Corvinus. In 1486 the estate became the property Szentgyörgyi family, then in 1511 Ferenc and Márton, sons of a remote heir of Szentpáli family, were the next owners. Other masters followed, until the village became the property of Báthory family. In 1575 here was a battle for the possession of Transylvania, between Prince Báthory István and hostile nobles led by Békés Gáspár. During this battle, the castle was destroyed.

In 1609, Báthory Gábor donated the domain to Haller brothers - István, György and Zsigmond. The Haller family originated from Nürnberg, Germany. In April 1699, they became Barons, and on January 15 1719 became Counts. In 1610, Haller István began the reconstruction of the castle, which was completed in 1674 by his son, Haller János. It was destroyed again during the Kuruc Uprising (1703–1711, Romanian: Războiul curuţilor) against the Habsburgs, led by Rákóczi Ferenc II. The Medieval remains of the castle were demolished in the mid 18th century. It was built also a chapel, between 1745-1760. Followed a new reconstruction, but the castle was significantly damaged again in 1945, during WWII. The Haller family owned the Sânpaul domain until 1949, when all properties have been confiscated and nationalized. Near the castle was a vast arboretum with many rare and exotic species, and an ornamental lake. It seems that it was also a secret tunnel between the castle and the chapel on the hill.

In 1960, the castle was rebuilt by the 'Authority for Historical Monuments'. During the Communist regime, it was used as site for an agricultural association, vegetable storage, furniture storage, temporary home for people affected by floods in the '70. After 1990, it was claimed by the daughter of Count Haller, who donated it to the Roman-Catholic Archdiocese of Alba-Iulia.

Ancient legends speak of a terrible curse that still haunts the castle in Sânpaul. It is said that a gypsy witch, angered by the cruelty of Count Alardi Ferenc that unjustly whipped his husband, cursed the family and the castle to eternal desolation. Since then, the troubles followed the owners and the noble edifice which they lived. The castle was built three times and three times reached the decay and desolation.

Cetatea de Baltă Castle

Cetatea de Baltă (Hungarian: Küküllővár; Saxon German: Kâkelbrich; German: Kockelburg, Kukelburg, Kuchelburg, Kümelburg) is a village in Alba County with a population of 3235. It is located between Târnăveni (15 km) and Blaj (21 km).

The village was first attested in a Papal register in 1177, as "Villa Cuculiensis Castri". The reformed church towers were built in 1060, and have resisted to the Tatar invasion of 1214. As a reminder of those events, on church walls is painted a big head of a Tatar (late 13th century). According to another document in 1214, during King Stephen I of Hungary here was a wooden fort fortified with embankments of earth, which was destroyed during the Tatar invasion in 1241.

Documents from the early 14th century refers again to a fort, which during 1467-1538 was under the rule of Ştefan the Great and Petru Rareş, ruling princes of Moldavia. In 1565 it was destroyed by the Csaky family, owner of the serf villages to build here a fortified castle. In the late 17th century the domain became the property of Prince Apafi Mihály.

In 1757 was bought by Gábor Bethlen, than the castle than became the property of his brother Miklos Bethlen, who, in 1770 , rebuilt the castle. Instead of the drawbridge he built a stairway, the building got a pointed roof, the outer wall was dismantled, he built a chapel, a boose, and a gate barbican which, in 1972, crumbled down.

After Count Bethlen’s family, the Haller family received it by marriage and moved into the magnificent castle. During the WWII the walls of the castle were damaged (1944). After the war, the castle was used as a granary, office house, and after the 70’s the Jidvei champagne factory used the cellars of the castle for storing. Today the castle is private property and can not be visited. The castle was bought from Count Haller’s grandchild with the condition that it can not be modified. The new owner wants the castle to be placed in the touristic circuit.

The Bethlen-Haller Castle was built in the 16th century in the French Renaissance style and restored in the 17th-18th centuries in the Baroque style. The building has a rectangular plan, with massive walls, laid on top with holes for oil and circular defense towers on corners.

The basement and first floor have semi-cylindrical vaulted ceilings. On the upper side is a spiral staircase. The main staircase, richly decorated, is carved in wood. The new owners have preserved it, and at its end, in the cellars where were tortured the serfs and where food was kept, is now arranged a room for wine tasting. The doors and window frames, the architecture, generally bears the imprint of the French Renaissance. The gate, in Baroque style, was built in 1769. The castle was famous for its gardens and the deer farm. From the castle cellars start tunnels leading to the castle of Sânmiclăuş, another family property.

Images from here.