Welcome to Corvinilor Castle
Location:
Hunedoara City, Hunedoara County
Address:
Castelului (Castle) Street, No. 1-3, Hunedoara
Area/Surface:
Around 7000 m²
Date of construction:
1446-1480
(later were added other annexes)
Opening hours:
Daily 09.00-17.00
Prices:
Adults: 25 RON
Students: 5 RON
Pensioners: 10 RON
Photo tax: 5 RON
Video tax: 15 RON
Telephone:
+40 786 048718
E-mail:
Website:
How to get here:
By car:
Situated between Sânpetru, Bănie and Old Centre of Hunedoara City neighborhoods, the easiest way to get to the castle is on the county roads DJ 687J or DJ 687E. In Hunedoara City you can arrive from north (Deva) or east (Călan-E79) on the county road DJ 687.
By train:
You can get by train till Deva City’s train station and from here by bus.
By means of transport:
From county’s capital, Deva, you can get here by bus. More details you can find if you visit www.autogari.ro/Transport/Deva-Hunedoara.
Huniazilor or Corvinilor Castle
Corvinilor Castle is situated in the central part of Hunedoara Municipality and is a great tourist objective which you can’t miss. Even if I visited it in 2007, I wished to visit it again because of being rushed by that time, I didn’t understand completely what this castle meant for Romanian and Hungarian history and I couldn’t completely enjoy it. So, in 2014 fall, I visited it again with 4 other people (they came here for the first time) whom I started a 9 days beautiful trip around Romania.
History and the main towers of Huniazilor or Corvinilor Castle:
We arrived in Hunedoara from Prislop Monastery, where we visited Ardealului Saint, Father Arsenie Boca, who passed away in 1989 and after several minutes we saw the great towers of Corvinilor or Huniazilor Castle. Initially it was only a citadel built in XIV century, but Iancu of Hunedoara transformed it into a castle adding defensive towers as Drummers, Solitary, Capistrano and Mace Towers, a fountain which even today remains one of the main attractions, a chapel, but also two other rectangular towers. One of these is also the new gate tower through which tourists enter today in the castle. Initially, the two floors of this tower, built around 1440-1444, had a defensive role and later was used as a room to live in. Very close to the main entrance is castle’s jail where it is said that also Vlad Tepes itself known as Dracula was imprisoned. This is composed by two small chambers, the one from the bottom being for those who were sentenced to death. Here were preserved since hundreds of years ago, some chains, locks and other used objects.
The amazing Corvinilor Castle and the main entrance
The Old Courtyard, the chapel and the rooms from Corvinilor Castle:
After visiting these, you get into the old courtyard, one of the oldest and most important places in Corvinilor Castle where any tourist can realize this wonderful work by Iancu of Hunedoara in all its glory. The great towers and massive fortifications rise around you and make you feel like an inhabitant of the castle from those times. If the first part of the castle’s construction in Gothic style belongs to Iancu of Hunedoara, the second part was under the rule of Matei Corvin and Gabriel Bethlen who added renaissance elements. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) A great merit for the proper preservation of this castle and for its current appearance is given by the restoration works from the last two centuries.
The Old Courtyard, Corvinilor Castle, Hunedoara County
The chapel and interior rooms impressed all of us not because of the objects richness, but especially because of the majesty of these rooms, the beautiful decorations and its historic air. The chapel from Corvinilor Castle, built around 1450, has a late Gothic style, composed from a single nave and it has the saint name of Saint John the Baptist. The north wing known as Matia includes the Gold Chamber as Matia’s King or Matei Corvin bedroom. It also has two balconies, one triangular and one rectangular and also an outdoor covered gallery which can be seen very well from the Old Courtyard. Situated in the new defensive tower, the ladies gate served in the beginning as a defending floor and later was used as a living room by the castle’s ladies.
Saint John the Baptist Chapel, Huniazilor Castle
Diet Hall and more about the towers of Huniazilor or Corvinilor Castle:
The Diet Hall is one of the main chambers of Corvinilor Castle, is a place for ceremonies and other events, built during the reign of Iancu of Hunedoara. This has in the central part a row of octagonal columns, but also a huge table which symbolizes the function of this room. It was completely destroyed in 1854 due to a fire, but rebuilt between 1956 and 1968. The Capistrano Tower of a circular shape has its name from Saint Capistrano who lived here until 1456. The Lonely defense Tower from the castle’s south part is composed from the Marines room and the embattled floor. Also in the southern part is Neboisa Tower and Gallery, supported on 9 poles linked through semi-circular arches which had a defensive role as well. Old Gate Tower with a rectangular shape is opposite the new one and also had a defensive role and decorated with geometric motifs.
The Diet Hall, Corvinilor Castle
The White Tower, the fountain and Drummers Tower of Corvinilor Castle:
The White Tower is one of the last built during the reign of Gabriel Bethlen in 1619. Once this was built, the old entrance gate is closed. It has 4 defending floors and the access was through the spiral staircase, one of the main objectives of this castle. The fountain is an enigmatic place and has its legend together with other legends around the castle. I will leave you to discover it together with other ones when visiting one of Romania’s 7 wonders. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Tobosarilor (drummers) Tower built in a circular shape in the east part of the castle, had a defending role and it has a beautiful Neo-Gothic arch.
The Solitary Tower, one of Corvinilor Castle’s towers
The Knights Hall and recommendations for Corvinilor Castle:
Last but not least, I left in the end the Knights Hall, one of the most important chambers built by Iancu of Hunedoara. It has in the middle like Diet Hall a row of octagonal columns and was designed as a canteen, a room for different meetings and judgement room. Today tourists can see some armors, weapons used in that period and also the bust of Iancu of Hunedoara. To slowly visit every chamber and tower of the castle and to understand completely what this meant in those times for Transylvania, we recommend you to stay here at least 2 hours. If you wish to buy some souvenirs, to drink or eat something, the traders next to the castle are waiting to serve you.
The Knights Hall, Corvinilor Castle
So, from my point of view, I can say that Huniazilor Castle is one of the most beautiful castles from Eastern Europe and is known that is one of the biggest in Gothic style. It’s one of the main tourist objectives from Romania considered a pearl of Transylvania which we invite you to visit with any occasion in any season, because is opened all year round. More details about the castle, its history, restoration, architecture and others you can find on the official website. Visit Huniazilor or Corvinilor Castle!
Statue of ruler Matei Corvin, Huniazilor Castle
Hunedoara 
