Neamţ Citadel

Neamţ Citadel (Romanian: Cetatea Neamţ) is a medieval fortress located near Târgu Neamţ, Neamţ County, Moldavia, Romania.

Lack of reliable information on the origins of Neamţ Fortress had resulted in several hypotheses whose reliability was often questioned. A number of prestigious historians and philologists, as A.D. Xenopol, B.P. Hasdeu, D. Onciul etc., said that - according to the papal bull of 1232 - the Teutonic Knights of Bârsa had built between 1211-1225 on the eastern slope of the Carpathians a castrum muntissimum that only the Neamţ Citadel could be. The Germanic (Teutonic or Saxon) hypothesis was acquired by many of Romanian historians, from the name of the fortress (in Romanian, Neamţ means German).

Later, the hypothesis on the beginnings of the citadel could be reconsidered. Thus, in the material dating from the lowest layer of citadel, revealed by systematic investigations carried out, were identified coins from the reign of Petru I Muşat (1375-1391). This is a definite proof that Neamţ Fortress was built in the second part of the reign of Petru I, during which Moldova has experienced a continuous political and economic development. A monument like Neamţ Fortress is a large building, which required a huge effort and considerable material resources. The only force capable of undertaking such initiatives was provided by the princes of the era of consolidation of the feudal state of Moldova.


The Entrance

Neamţ Fortress was clearly documented a few years later, in 1395, during the expedition of King Sigismund of Hungary in Moldova. Not irrelevant is that "The Neamţ from mountains" is mentioned in the Russian Chronicle that describes the cities to the east of the Carpathians, dated between 1387-1391, which could refer both to the city and the citadel.


The Courtyard

The fortress was built on a rocky triangular spur, with height of about 480 m above sea level and 80 m above the level of Neamţ River (or Ozana). It has a rectangle with unequal sides shape, adapted to the configuration of the terrain. The northern and southern sides are 38.5 and 37.5 m long, the eastern side have a length of 47 m and the western side is 40 m long. Specific for the defense system of the fortress is that the towers of the four corners were not placed outside the walls, but directly into the frame walls, and this because the natural fortifications on three sides not allowed their building outside. In front of the fourth side (N) is a ditch dating from the 15th century. The walls were 12-15 m high and 3 m thick, and are strengthened by 18 exterior buttresses.


Council Hall

In 1475, during the reign of Stephen the Great, on the northern side were added four rounded bastions, 30 m high, and the walls were raised with 6-7 m. The new access road into the citadel is represented by an arched bridge, finished by a drawbridge, and supported on 11 stone pillars with prismatic form. The exterior fortification system included also ditches and palisades.


Weapons Room

The garrison had currently 300 soldiers. The fortress was besieged many times by Hungarians, Turks, Tatars, Cossacks, Austrians, Polish, and had a particular importance in the defensive system of Moldavia. Practically, during the 14th-18th centuries, any major event in the history of Moldavia was linked, in a way or another, to the citadel.


The Prison

In the 18th century, it lost any political or military importance and began to deteriorate. During the reign of Mihail Sturdza (1834-1849) the citadel was protected and in 1866 was declared a historical monument. Between 1968-1972, the walls were reinforced, without the reconstruction of the missing portions. Nowadays, the fortress represents one of the most visited objectives of the region.

Panoramas by Michael Pop, from www.360trip.ro.

Oradea Fortress

The first documentary mentioning of the name of the town (Varadinum) shows up in 1113 though it seems that its foundation has been set on the bank of the Crişul Repede River, a long time before that year.


In 11th century, King Ladislas the First (1077 – 1095) built a fortified monastery with Virgin Saint Mary as patron. Later, he lays the foundations of the Roman-Catholic Bishopric of Oradea within the fortress. In June 27, 1192, Pope Celestinus III sanctified King Ladislas I. This act and the very occasion made the fortress a continuously prestigious pilgrimage place. Between 11th – 12th centuries, the fortress was a fortification (castrum), made from earthen walls and stockade, some stone walls and several wooden watch towers at the gates and the corners of the inner fortress.


In 1241, Master Ruggero di Puglia describes in the famous poem Carmen miserabile the conquest and setting on fire of Oradea Fortress, during the Tartar-Mongolian invasion. In February 1245 was the sequel to the Lyon Council – where the draft of a coherent policy of Catholic states against the Tartar threat is put forward – a wide reconstruction process starts in Oradea as well, thanks to a series of facilities given to the city. Around 1290, Roland, son of Toma - from the ruling family known as Borşa of Transylvania – has a family conflict with the royalty, to which the bishops of Bihor were loyal. As a result, he attacks the fortress under reconstruction and causes great damages.

The new medieval fortress, in heptagonal shape, was erected in 14th century; the precinct was irregularly towered and embattled. The gate was protected with two solid towers; to the south, a Gothic Bishopric Palace was erected, whose outer wall is also a siding. On the south-western side of the wall is found the second entrance to the Fortress. An impressive Gothic cathedral was erected between 1342 – 1370, with three aisles and an octagonal altar, a facade with two towers and massive abutments; ample decoration work is done inside and various altars are built.


Between 1360 – 1370, brothers Martin and George from Cluj build the statues of the three Canonized Hungarian kings: Stephen I, Ladislas I and Emerick. They will remain inside the Fortress. In May 20, 1390, the same sculptors uncover the equestrian statue of King Ladislas I, in natural size and entirely gilded, erected at the order of King Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387 – 1437). In August 25, 1401, Pope Bonifacius IX confers a privilege to the fortress cathedral, bringing it to the same rank as San Marco Church of Venice and Santa Maria Portiuncula of Assisi. Thus, the cathedral becomes a pilgrimage place for Christians from all over Europe.

In 1427, the Oradea fortress Bishopric had its own corps of troops (banderia), which consisted of 500 riders and as much infantry, recruited especially from among Romanian kings of Bihor County. The bishops Giovanni de Dominis da Arbe, leader of Varna Crusade (1444) and Perenyi Ferenc (Mohacs Battle, 1526) fell on the battlefield leading this corps. For two weeks, around Easter (March 1412), King Vladislav Jagello of Poland, accompanied by King Sigismund of Luxembourg, arrive to the fortress. Their close relationship was also facilitated by Mircea cel Bătrân, King of the Romanian Country.


Between 12th – 15th centuries, 7 royalties are buried inside the cathedral or in its churchyard: King Ladislas I, Andrew II, Stephen III, Ladislas IV the Cuman, Queen Beatrix, Queen Mary, and Sigismund of Luxembourg - Hungarian King and German Emperor. In 1367 follows Elisabeth, wife of Duke Ladislas of Opulia, the Paladin of Hungary, daughter of Nicolae Alexandru Basarab.

In 14th–15th centuries, the bishops of Oradea fulfill diplomatic assignments for Hungarian Kings at various European courts, such as: Andrew Bathori (1329 – 1245) for King Charles Robert of Anjou in Italy, at the Naples court (1333); Demetrius (1345 – 1372) for King Louis the Great at the Romanian Country kingly court - Nicolae Alexandru Basarab and in Italy at the Naples court; John Filipecz Pruis for King Matia Corvin in Italy, at Naples (1476), Urbino and Rome (1482), Milan (1487).


In 15th century was the „Golden Age” of the fortress, as it becomes an important center of Humanism and Renaissance in Central and Eastern Europe. The most important bishops of the time were Andrea Scolari, also known as „The Florentine” (1409–1426), John Vitez of Zredna (1444–1465) and Sigismund Thurzo (1506–1512). The illustrious physicist of Vienna university, Georg Peuerbach (1423-1461), builds an astronomic observatory in Oradea and, establishing the zero meridian here, calculated the sun and moon eclipses in his work, “Tabulas Varadienses”. The Canonical lecturer Vepi Peter reorganized the Capitular School of Oradea (1439–1440) and created a foundation for its students.

In February 7, 1474, the Pasha of Simendria, Ali Oglu Malcovici, perform a rapid attack on Oradea Fortress in the winter, robbing it without notice.

Gheorghe Doja's rebels armies attacked the citadel (1514) but failed to occupy it, thanks to the incoming support of the captain of the city of Făgăraş, Tomori Pál.


After the fall of the feudal Hungarian Kingdom and its division between Turks and Hapsburg, Oradea fortress was disputed (1526-1538) between Ferdinand of Hapsburg, self-declared King of Hungary, and King John Zapolya. The peace of Oradea (February 24, 1538), was the first international treaty that consecrated total separation of Transylvania from Hungary. In April 10, 1557, the fortress of Oradea was retaken from the Hapsburg by the army of Principality of Transylvania, led by Tamás Varkocs, with a mission to defend the western border of the Principality.

The political and military climate in Central Europe have imposed the building of a new fortification, adapted to the military needs. The Transylvanian princes employed Italian military architects, who produced the new pentagonal fortress, with towers on corners and defensive ditch water, in later Renaissance style.

During the Ottoman siege (September 25 to November 3 1598), Michael the Brave sent a detachment of 1500 horsemen led by Aga Lecca in support of Oradea Fortress. The Hapsburg sent also a detachment of about 2000 infantry man and 500 cavalry under General Melchior von Rodern. The Vienna Imperial Court recognized Bocskai István as Prince of Transylvania and yield it the Oradea Fortress (June 23, 1606).


After a difficult siege, which lasted 46 days (August 27, 1660), with a report of 45,000 Turkish forces against 850 defenders, due to a betrayal, the Ottomans take Fortress of Oradea and installed here the headquarters of a Pasha, that will last for 32 years. Count Ladislaus Rakoczi attacked by surprise the citadel in May 1664, in the market day, with 200 soldiers disguised as peasants, but the attempt failed when Rakoczi was shot on city walls. The Imperial army encircle the fortress and begins a long siege (July 1691-28 May 1692), completed by the surrender of the Ottoman garrison to General Donath Heissler. Between 1692-1695, the fortress was rebuilt after the plans of military engineer Baron Ernst von Borgsdorf. In the Autumn of 1693, an auxiliary group of Tatars of the Ottoman army led by grand vizier Mustafa Bozuklu tried unsuccessfully to capture the garrison of Oradea in a surprise raid.


Between 1703-1710, the Oradea fortress was unsuccessfully besieged during the conflict between rebels led by Francis Rakoczi II and Hapsburg. In 18th century, although the citadel was only a military garrison, the Austrians will continue to pay attention and to undertake major repairs and refurbishments campaigns in 1725, 1754-1755 and 1775-1777, the last finalizing all the architecture that can be visited today.


In 1793, in the fortress were imprisoned 450 French prisoners. In 1836, a great fire destroyed much of it. During the Revolution of 1848-1849, the fortress was an important headquarter of the revolutionaries. In May 16, 1857, Emperor Franz Josef I canceled by decree the military status of the fortress, but will continue to be used as auxiliary military objective and will receive compensation in the years 1883-1887.


Between WWI and WWII, it was the seat of a police school. In 1947-1952, was used as a transit (the northern wing). Between 1945-1989, the fortress was still a military objective, used both by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense. Unfortunately, the process of degradation continues now and the authorities need substantial funds for restoration.

Dezna Fortress

Dezna (Hungarian: Dézna) is a commune located in the Dezna River Valley (about 7 km from Sebiş) in Arad County, Romania. The first documentary record of Dezna dates back to 1318. According to a legend, László Nagy Peretseny (1817) says that the village name derives from the name of Dacian king Decebal.

The most important historical monument of Dezna is the citadel situated on the Ozoiu Hill (390 m). Dominating the region and the access road to the heart of Codru-Moma Mountains, the fortress was built probably at the end of the 13th century in the center of a Romanian principality (cnezat). First attested in 1317, it was for a long time an important Royal citadel. In 1318, the domain was donated to the Losonczi family.


The fortress had a most important role in 16-17th centuries, in 1552 being part of the defense system of western Transylvania as a boundary fortress, especially after the fall of Ineu, conquered by the Turks (1566). Since 1565 belonged to Ioan Sigismund. The citadel was strengthened with new reinforcements, among which the north-eastern bastion; the architecture in Renaissance style is somewhat similar to the Şoimuş Fortress. Probably in this period in the more vulnerable sectors of the citadel were added rows of parallel stone walls, then filled with river stones, bricks and high-strength mortar.


Conquered by the Turks in 1574 and recaptured by 1596, the fortress was between 1599 and 1601 in possession of the captain of Michael the Brave, Gáspar Kornis, who facilitated the passage of the ruler by his way to Prague. Between 1601 and 1658 know had more owners, and in 1619 was donated by Transylvanian Prince Gabriel Bethlen to Marcu-Cercel Vodă. In 1658 it was conquered again by the Turks, together with Ineu fortress, and in coming decades Dezna disappeared as fortification.


The Dezna Fortress is part of a simpler family of fortifications. The remaining walls suggest a simple construction with one tower. The polygon shaped precincts have a single tower, still standing, seemingly the only outstanding feature of this fortress. Over the years have survived three major walls of the main bastion. Equally, can be distinguished the footsteps of the other walls, the contour of the inner court and fragments of the city ditches. In spite of the modest construction type it was owned by royal and important noble families.


One story says that the Turks had gathered in the citadel a large number of girls, for the harem of a military leader. Unable to escape, one of the girls to avoid the sad fate waiting them, managed to blow up the deposit of gunpowder. Recent research does not exclude an essence of truth of this legend, because some signs shows that the destruction of the citadel by explosion is very probable.

Şoimoş Fortress

The Şoimoş Fortress is situated in the village of Şoimoş, now part of the city of Lipova, Arad County, Western Romania. It was raised on the right bank of Mureş River, on Cioaca Tăutului Hill.


The fortress was built by the end of the 13th century by a noble family. It is assumed that the first owner was Paul, Ban (marquis) of Severin, between 1272-1275, which yields it first to his brother Nicolae, and then to his grandson, Posa, son of his brother Ioan, in 1278. The role of the fortress was already manifested in the situation of the centrifugal movement of Transylvania and Western Hungary, under the authority of Prince Ladislaus Kán II. The prince ruled the fortress by two of his vassals, counts of Arad: Alexandru (in 1310), and Dominic (1311). After 1315, in the time of King Carol Robert of Anjou, it become a royal citadel, associated with the dignities of count or viscount of Arad.


Towards the middle of the 15th century, the fortress was donated successively. In a document drafted in Buda in 1442, it is said that the citadel was initially mortgaged for the sum of 19,000 florins to Ladislau Hagymasi of Bereczko and his family, by King Albert (1439). The faithful of the new king, Vladislav I, took it over (1440), then the king donated it to the Ország family. The two sides agreed on the common rule in 1442. Under unclear circumstances, the Şoimoş Fortress became property of Corvin family (1446). Ion (or Iancu) de Hunedoara had dismissed his opponents giving them other compensations. Some clues have led to the assumption that the time of John Hunyadi the city was rebuilt. The truth is that only since 1453, his rule was formalized by the young King Ladislaus V. Historian Gerö László believes that Italian craftsmen were involved, and Entz Géza has made an association between the frames of gates from Şoimoş, with Deva fortress and the Hippolit tower in Eger (Hungary). Window frames still kept in the city are not belonging to the middle of the 15th century, but are almost 50 years newest.


In the time of King Matthias it was mortgaged again, to Jan Giskra, former commander of the Bohemian Hussites (1462), during which city maintenance was estimated at 1,000 florins a year. Since 1471 it was ruled by Nicolae and Iacob Bánffy, the first being count of Arad. In 1487 it was confiscated by force from Bánffy family, unfaithful to the King. The citadel belonged then to Ioan Corvin, natural son of the King, then came to Gheorghe Hohenzollern de Brandenburg by his marriage with the widow of Ioan, Beatrix of Frangepan. In peacetime, the number of soldiers was only 12. In the citadel lived Hungarians, Germans and Romanians, all in the service of George of Brandenburg; around the fortress were about 95 settlements.


In June 1515, after the conquer of Lipova, the city was besieged by the rebels of Gheorghe Doja. Details of the siege are well known because of the investigation carried out subsequently, after suppressing the peasants' uprising. After defeating the rebels under the walls of Timişoara, the prince of Transylvania, Ioan Zápolya, held the fortifications of the Mureş Valley, and give the citadel into possession to palatine Perenyi. Around the middle of the 16th century, it became the princely residence of the widow of Ioan Zapolya, Izabella. In 1551, the fortress was given to Andrei Báthory, who represented the King Ferdinand of Hapsburg. It was occupied by the Turks in 1552, then released in 1595 by Borbély György, a captain in Ştefan Bathori's army. It was finally gave to the Turks by Prince Gabriel Bethlen, and remained under Turkish occupation by March 26, 1688.


The fortress had a military role in the early 18th century, without being involved in any major military event. It was officially abandoned in 1788 and subject to demolition, but the difficult access and the relative remoteness were the reasons for the stopped destruction. In the 19th century the monument was protected by law and the last repair occurred in the early seventh decade of next century.

Alba Carolina fortress

Alba Iulia is situated in the heart of Romania and is the spiritual capital of the country. Alba Iulia is the site of the ancient Apulum, founded by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D., and destroyed by Tatars in 1241. From 1599 to 1601, Alba Iulia was the capital of the united principalities of Walachia, Transylvania and Moldavia. It was the site of the proclamation of Transylvania's unification with Romania (1 December 1918) and of the coronation of King Ferdinand in 1922.


The Alba Carolina fortress was built between 1714 and 1738 and it is considered to be the most representative baroque, Vauban-type star fortress in Romania and one of the largest of this kind in Eastern Europe.


The fortress was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Morando Visconti, who worked under the supervision of the general Stefan de Steinville and was later completed under General Weiss. The work at the fortification of Alba Iulia has began on the 4th of November 1715, when the foundation of Carol bulwark, dedicated to the emperor Carol VI and situated on the Northern side was made. 20.000 serves built the walls. Between the 18th and 19th centuries the fortress served as the military headquarters of Transylvania and also as a general armament repository. It was once one of the most powerful citadels in southeastern Europe, and served in the line of defense meant to keep out Turkish invaders from Central Europe. The leaders of the peasants’ revolution of 1784-85 were jailed, tried and executed here. Later, in 1848, the citadel was attacked by Hungarian revolutionary forces led by general Bem, but did not fall into their hands. Naturally, at the dawn of the 20th century, the citadel became obsolete, as modern warfare made its appearance on the European scene.


The perimeter of the outside walls is about 12 km. The fortification has seven bastions or bulwarks (Eugene of Savoia, St. Stefan, The Trinity, St. Michael, St. Carol, St. Capistrano and St. Elisabeth) that make it into a star-shaped, Vauban-style fortress. The largest bulwark is the Trinity (116m on 132m). On the whole, the fortress stands out between the most important Baroque architectural ensemble in Romania and Europe.


The walls were made of bricks, quarry stones, or out of the Roman ruins, measuring 3 m at the base and 1.20 m at the top and being sustained by abutments. The fortress is outstanding both for its decorative elements and for the beauty of its gates, unique in European military architecture. The fortress has six gates, three towards the town and the other three towards the western training fields. The gates are richly adorned, decorated with statues and reliefs by sculptors like Johann König, Johann Vischer and Giuseppe Tencalla, and have been a model for the 18th century Transylvanian architecture. The gates are looked upon as extremely valuable samples of early and plastic figurative Baroque. Today, only three gates preserve the original look.

Suceava Fortress

Suceava is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, Northeastern Romania. It is situated on a commercial high-way that linked the Baltic with the Black Sea. The town of Suceava gained its importance from the presence of the main royal palace which Petru I Muşat (1375-1391) built here at the end of the 14th century. Close to the royal court and the citadel stood the Mirăuţi Church, the first Metropolitan Church of Moldavia, which once housed the relics of Saint John the New, one of Moldavia's patron saints.


Suceava fortress was built by Petru I Muşat who moved here his residence from Siret and it had a rectangular shape, with a 36-meter long southern side and 40-meter long eastern side and defensive square towers at each end and in the middle of each side as well. It was first mentioned in 1388, but it was later transformed into a residence castle by Alexander the Good (1400-1432) and Stephen the Great (1457-1504) when Suceava became the capital of Moldavia. At the initial walls (10 m high and 2 m width) there were added new ones and a deeper water ditch was dig to surround the castle. The inside rooms belonged to soldiers, the prince and his family; there was also a chapel and a warehouse for food and ammunition. After 1476 Stephen doubled the exterior walls by adding new layers which were fixed to the existing walls, so that they varied in thickness from 2m to 4m. The walls were also made circular so that they stood more chance of surviving bombardment. This is the explanation why Suceava fortress couldn't be conquered despite the fact it was under siege several times by Turks and Polish armies - in 1467, 1485, 1497 and 1509. Only treason was the key for making possible its occupation by enemies (September 18th, 1538).


Under Alexandru Lăpuşneanu's second reign (1564-1568), the Turks ordered the fortress to be set on fire and the royal residence was moved to Iaşi. The last flourishing period of the fortress took place during Vasile Lupu's reign (1634-1653); the prince restored a good deal of it. In 1657, the Turks ordered ruling prince Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino (1673-1674 and 1684-1685) to destroy it. Nowadays, this fortress is a part of Suceava city so one can reach it easily.


From the point of view of the economic life it is worth mentioning that for the first half of the 15th century, the archaeological excavations revealed at Suceava metal processing (iron and bronze, proven by the iron and bronze slag bits, as well as metal dies). They uncovered numerous craft tools, such as: hammers, anvils, tongs, chisels, household artifacts (knives, locks, keys, etc.) or arms and harness parts. At the same time, they found many agricultural tools, such as shares, plough iron parts, sickles, hacks, etc. Besides these crafts it is worth mentioning those for ceramics processing, especially the enameled one, as well as the ceramic plates and disks used for interior and exterior decoration, for secular and religious buildings. The first excavations were carried out by the end of the 20th century by C.A. Romstorfer.

The Fortress of Deva

The Fortress of Deva (Romanian: Cetatea Devei), is located in the city of Deva, Hunedoara County, Romania, on top of a volcanic hill. The name Deva is considered to come from the ancient Dacian word dava, meaning "fortress". Fortress Hill was formed as a result of the volcanic activity that took place in Neogene (10-6 million years ago). Further erosion of the existing sedimentary rocks destroyed the old relief, lining out the sub volcanic body, actually a circular neck. Even though it has only 371 m, Fortress Hill dominates the surrounding regions with 100-180 m. The citadel hill, the northernmost reach of the small Poiana Rusca Mountains, has been declared a nature reserve in 1958, with rich vegetation and its rocks being home of the placid but venomous nose-horned viper (aka. horned adder) (Vipera Ammodytes). At the bottom of the hill there are mineral waters (athermal bicarbonated chlorosodical waters, 18 C) used for salt baths.


The first evidence of the medieval Deva Fortress dates back to the second half of the 13th century, in 1269, when Stephen V, King of Hungary and Duke of Transylvania, mentioned "the royal castle of Deva" in a privilege-grant for the Count Chyl of Kelling (Romanian: comitele Chyl din Câlnic). From 1273 dates the first record about a military operation that involved the fortress. Under its walls, the cumans were defeated by Petrus Chak (Latin: Magister Petrus de genere Chak), who was rewarded for his victory by Ladislaus IV, King of Hungary. In his letter, Ladislaus IV mentioned the facts with the words: "sub castro Dewa contra Cumanorum exercitur viriliter dimicavit". At the end of the 13th century, The Deva Fortress was in the property of Ladislaus Kán, Voivode (ruling prince) of Transylvania, who organized here a court besides the military garrison.


During the 1300s and 1400s it was the seat of local dukes or warlords. In the early 1400s, the castle, along with others, becomes the property of Iancu de Hunedoara (Johannes Huniad, Janos Hunyadi), governor of Hungary and ruler of Transylvania, who, beginning with 1453, rebuilt the castle into a fortified residence and the town became an important administrative and military center. After Huniad’s reign, the Hungarian state authorities decided that the citadel is of much strategic importance and would become state property. The citadel served in the 16th century also as a prison, for personalities such as David Ferencz, the founder of the Unitarian church, and Moise Szekely, leader of the Transylvanian nobles hostile to the imperial power. The invading Ottoman Turkish armies besieged the castle several times in 1550, 1552 and in 1557, when it was effectively occupied. The castle was given by the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to queen Isabella Jagellon, wife of king John Zapolya, and her son, John Sigismund (Zsigmond Janos) reigning over autonomous Transylvania and remains of Hungary. In the 1600s, during the reign of prince Gabriel Bethlen (Bethlen Gabor), the citadel was strengthened and extended. From 1686 it comes under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Empire until the 1800s. During the 1786 uprising, it has been sieged by the peasants lead by Horia, Cloşca and Crişan. At the end of the 1700s, the citadel looses its strategic importance and remains abandoned for a period of time until 1817, when, upon visiting the region, Habsburg Emperor Francisc I decides to have it restored. During the 1848 revolution, the Hungarian revolutionary forces unsuccessfully besiege the Austrian imperial garrison inside the citadel. One day, in the month of august, 1849, the citadel’s ammo storehouse exploded, leaving the castle in ruins (internet infos compilation).

Here, two panoramas of the fortress.