Čakovec Castle or

Zrinski Zrinski () was a Croatian- Hungarian noble family, a cadet branch of the Croatian noble tribe of Šubić, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia's union with the Kingdom of Hungar ...

Castle ( hr, Čakovečka utvrda or or hu, Csáktornyai vár or ''Zrínyi-kastély'') is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in the middle of the town of

Čakovec Čakovec (; hu, Csáktornya; la, Aquama; german: Tschakathurn) is a city in northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, sm ...

, the administrative seat of

Međimurje County Međimurje County (; hr, Međimurska županija ; hu, Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped Counties of Croatia, county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje (region), ...

, northern

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. The castle is located in the Zrinski Park, not far from the city's central square, and is the biggest fortification in

. It was constructed of hewn stone and red

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, and, during its more than 7-century-long history, subjected to several reconstructions. Today it is partly restored. The castle's main palace houses the

Međimurje County Museum The Međimurje County Museum in Čakovec, the seat of Međimurje County, Croatia, is located in the Zrinski Castle inner palace, the biggest medieval fortification in the county, close to the centre of the town and its main square. History The ...

, the biggest museum in the county, and its

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

is also used as an outdoor

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

during the summer months. The place was the scene of the

Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy The Magnate conspiracy, also known as the Zrinski- Frankopan Conspiracy ( hr, Zrinsko-frankopanska urota) in Croatia, and Wesselényi conspiracy ( hu, Wesselényi-összeesküvés) in Hungary, was a 17th-century attempt to throw off Habsburg an ...

, a significant event in the

history of Croatia At the time of the Roman Empire, the area of modern Croatia comprised two Roman provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. After the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the ...

. On 19 November 2007 Čakovec Castle was classified as a protected cultural good in the

Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia The Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Registar kulturnih dobara Republike Hrvatske) has been established in 1999. The Croatian Ministry of Culture is responsible for the administration of this public register, which has be ...

under No. N-23.

History

The first fortification was built in the 13th century by Count

Csák I Hahót Csák (I) from the kindred Hahót ( hu, Hahót nembeli (I.) Csák; died after 1269) was a Hungarian noble who held several secular positions during the reign of King Béla IV. Initially, he was a strong and influential supporter of the king's son, ...

, after whom the city of Čakovec is named. It was later owned by many other notable families, including the Counts of Althann, the House of Lacković, the

Counts of Celje The Counts of Celje ( sl, Celjski grofje) or the Counts of Cilli (german: Grafen von Cilli; hu, cillei grófok) were the most influential late medieval noble dynasty on the territory of present-day Slovenia. Risen as vassals of the Habsburg dukes ...

as well as the House of Ernušt,

House of Zrinski Zrinski () was a Croatian- Hungarian noble family, a cadet branch of the Croatian noble tribe of Šubić, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia's union with the Kingdom of Hungar ...

, House of Feštetić and others.

Nikola IV Zrinski Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...

, Ban (viceroy) of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and hero of Siget, was granted the castle together with the whole area of Međimurje on 12 March 1546 from King Ferdinand as a compensation for his battles against the Ottomans. Nikola IV's great-grandson

Nikola VII Zrinski Nikola () is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek ''Nikolaos'' (Νικόλαος). It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montene ...

, long-term

Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...

and famous warrior against the Turks, was born in Čakovec Castle in 1620 to

Juraj V Zrinski Juraj V Zrinski ( hu, V. Zrínyi György; 31 January 1599 – 28 December 1626) was a Croatian Ban (viceroy), warrior and member of the Zrinski noble family. Biography Juraj V Zrinski was born in Csáktornya Kingdom of Hungary (today Čakovec, ...

and Magdalena Zrinski

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Széchy. In his castle, he established and owned a unique book collection named "

Bibliotheca Zriniana Bibliotheca may refer to: * ''Bibliotheca'' (Pseudo-Apollodorus), a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends * '' Bibliotheca historica'', a first century BC work of universal history by Diodorus Siculus * ''Bibliotheca'' ...

". In 1660 the castle was visited by

Evliya Çelebi Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...

, Turkish traveller and writer, and in 1661 by Jacobus Tollius,

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

philologist. On 30 April 1738 castle was heavily damaged in an earthquake. It was immediately rebuilt and redesigned in

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style, and it was given its present-day look. Water-filled

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...

s, that entirely surrounded the castle, were later drained and filled with earth.

References

External links

Čakovec Castle – one of the „castles with a view“ in northern and central Croatia

Castle in Čakovec was owned by Zrinski noble family

Zrinski Castle – a fortification in the centre of Čakovec

History of the Castle

Čakovec Castle - National cultural good of Croatia (N-23)

Castles and mansions

Night view of Čakovec Castle

Herculean Allegory at the Čakovec Old Castle: Commissioner and Context
File:Stari grad Zrinskih, Čakovec, zimi - sjeveroistok2.JPG, Castle in winter File:Čakovec Stari Grad.jpg, Čakovec Castle from inside File:Muzej Međimurja Čakovec.jpg, Inner palace with museum File:Konjički preponski turnir kod Starog grada Zrinskih, Čakovec 2010..JPG, Equestrian event at the Castle File:Stari grad Zrinskih, Čakovec (Croatia) - topovski otvor.JPG, Cannon hole File:Stari grad Zrinskih, Čakovec (Croatia) - palača - jug.JPG, Inner palace - south view {{DEFAULTSORT:Cakovec Castle Castles in Croatia Museums in Croatia Tourist attractions in Međimurje County Zrinski Buildings and structures in Čakovec Castle museums History of Čakovec

History

See also

References

External links