Magyar News, 2002. szeptember-2003. augusztus (13. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2002-10-01 / 2. szám
THE ORIGINAL AND THE COPY by Erika Papp Faber Situated on a Lake in the middle of Városliget, Budapest's municipal park, the Castle of Vajdahunyad is a romantic photo opportunity for the visitor to Hungary. It was built at the turn of the 19th century, as part of the 1896 year-long millennial celebration of the settlement of Hungary in 896 A.D. Like Ják Church, also located in Városliget, it is a smaller version of an original historic building. Today, Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest houses the Museum of Agriculture. The original Vajdahunyad Castle is located in Transylvania which, until the 1920 Treaty Page 2 of Trianon, had been part of Hungary. It is built on a cliff over the Zalasd River. The city of Vajdahunyad -called Hunedoara by the Romanians - had been Hungary's, and is now Romania's, major iron and steel manufacturing center. According to the earliest chronicles, the foundations of the castle go back to Roman times. By the 11th century, Hunyadvár, as it was then called, was part of the southern defense of Hungary. In 1409, it became the property of the Hunyadi family. It was given to Vajk, the father of János Hunyadi, for services rendered to the king. He is regarded as the founder of the Gothic-style Castle. It was expanded by both father and son, and equipped with gate towers and defensive bastions. The walls too were fortified. Thus it was not only a castle which served as the family home, but became a fortress for defense purposes. János Hunyadi's son László was bom there. The Gothic chapel was completed in 1446. The northeastern wing was built in 1452, when János Hunyadi was Regent of Hungary, and includes a knights' hall with two rows of marble columns. The hall has vaulting with 12 pointed arches, and, on the upper level, four galleries supported by buttresses. (Hunyadi had been elected Regent until King László V came of age.) A deep well in the courtyard was dug by three Turkish prisoners of war. They were promised their freedom if they found water. After searching diligently and digging through unyielding rock for 15 years, they finally found a spring of water, 90 feet down. But the promise of freedom was not kept. The Turks then carved their names into one of the stones lining the well. Written all in small letters, the words can also mean "Water you have, but you don't have heart." This stone may now be seen on the wall next to the well. One of the castle's numerous towers is called the "Nyebojsza Tower", named after the Serbian guard that had been quartered . r1 ’ 'V ■' if',' Top of page: The original Vajdahunyad Castle in Transylvania. Left: The entrance tower of the original castle. Right: The copy of the castle at the Városliget Park in Budapest
