Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 22. 1982-1983 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1985)
Die Anjovinen in Mitteleuropa - Czeglédy Ilona: The results of the exavations of the Castle of Diósgyőr. p. 33–38.
Alba Regia, XXII, 1985 I. CZEGLÉDY THE RESULTS OF THE EXCAVATIONS OF THE CASTLE OF DIÓSGYŐR Ever since the middle of the 19 th century number of architects, art historians and archivists have dealt with the ruins of the castle of Diósgyőr. The picturesque ruin which is about 6 km (4 miles) north of Miskolc, at the entrance of the Lillafüred valley, on a cliff arising at the foot of the "Bányabükk" was recorded already by scientists living at the end of the last century as the castle of King Louis I. the Great. Though scientists had noticed the importance of the castle already in the 1890s and the collection of documentary materials had been started, smaller excavations of treasure-seeking character had been carried out, nevertheless, long time had passed until substantial steps could be taken in the research. The National Commission for the Protection of Historical Monuments suggested already in 1926 "to bring to light the hidden parts of the castle by professional excavations". The first archeological exploration of scholarly ambition was carried out between 1934—1936. However, the ruin was left unconserved and was further damaged during Word War II. Its "new life" could be started only after the end of World War II. The conservation and later gradual reconstruction of the ruin was started in 1953. Between 1963—73 the Inspectorate of Hungarian Historical Monuments took over the direction of the excavation and reconstruction. This excavation aiming at completness covered the inner and outer castle, partially the moat and on the level of observation the whole environment and the research of the nearby Paulite monastery. The archeological excavation has brought to light — through moving about 30 000 cubic meters of earth —in addition to some half a million archeological finds found in the thick fillings-in on the territory of the inner castle and the outer fortifications, also the ruins and rests of buildings from different epochs. The excavation works started in 1963 have brought important results: 1. They made clear that after earlier (prehistoric) antecedents and those presumably from the times of the Magyar Conquest, at the end of the 13 th and at the very beginning of the 14 th century the Palatine István (son of Ernye from the stem of Ákos) and his family had a castle built on the highest plateau of the rock. 2. They uncovered the castle from the age of King Louis I the Great entirely: the inner castle-place, the outer fortification and cut through at several points the surrounding moat. Besides, the system of outer defensive circles was also examined. 3. During the excavating work we succeeded in separating those minor rebuildings done later than the 14 th century, i. e. the fortification work carried out in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. 4. We succeeded in following —to a great extent with the help of written sources —the fate of the castle gradually decaying from the end of the 17 th century up to the point of turning totally into a ruin. I have no possibility here to analyse the history of the castle of Diósgyőr in detail. I only consider it necessary to emphasize that King Louis I, the son of King Charles Robert, took posession of Diósgyőr soon after his coronation and started there great construction works. Though written sources do not report on the constructions carried out at this time one is certain: the architectural frames, that is a palace to stay, were definitely necessary for the more and more frequent sojourns of the king in Diósgyőr. The royal building workshop and its outstanding leaders worked beside Buda also in other royal castles such as those in Visegrád, Diósgyőr, Zólyom. The most talkative witness is the castle itself with its architectural remains, deficiencies, with the archeological material buried within its ruins and later uncovered. (Fig, 1.) The royal castle palace with a regular quadrangular form and four inner towers had been built from the middle of the 14 th century on during the reign of King Louis I the Great on the place of the castle built by the clan and pulled down to its basis. 3 Alba Regia XXII. 33
