Niedzica Castle also known as Dunajec Castle ( lat, Castrum de Dunajecz, hu, Nedec Váralja / Nedec-Vár, german: Sub-Arx Unterschloss, sk, Nedecký hrad), is located in the southernmost part of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
in
Niedzica (
Nowy Targ County in
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...
). It was erected between the years 1320 and 1326 by Kokos of Brezovica on the site of an ancient stronghold surrounded by earthen walls in the
Pieniny
The Pieniny (sometimes also the PieninsSzafer, Władysław. 2013. ''The Vegetation of Poland: International Series of Monographs in Pure and Applied Biology''. Warsaw: Pergamon Press, pp. 156, 388. or the Pienin Mountains,Griffiths, Graham C. D. ...
mountains. The Niedzica Castle stands at an altitude of 566 m, on a hill upstream from the
Dunajec River mouth, measured from the center of the dam on
Lake Czorsztyn. The outline of Niedzica Castle can best be viewed from the ruins of
Czorsztyn Castle on the other side of the lake. It is known as one of the most picturesque
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...
s in the country and adorns the covers of many books.
History
The castle was an important centre of Polish-Hungarian relations since the 14th century. It was a place where the money lent by the Polish king to the Hungarian king
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
had to be returned following an agreement signed in 1412. Once the loan was paid back, the Polish king returned the 16
Spiš towns given to him by Sigismund as collateral. For centuries the castle was a border-post with
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
. At the time of the Turkish invasion five hundred years ago, a deal was struck at Niedzica to make it a Polish
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...
.
The castle was built by a Hungarian known as Kokos from Brezovica with family rights dating back to 1325. In 1470 it became the property of the aristocratic Zápolya family. However, in 1528, the entire county including the castle was given away by
John Zápolya
John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferd ...
aspiring to the Hungarian throne, and became the property of
William Drugeth who received it as a reward for his support. Sixty years later it became the property of Hieronim Łaski and his son Olbracht. At the end of the 16th century the castle was bought by Ján Horváth from
Plaveč. The fortress was renovated many times in the fifteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth and in the beginning of the 19th century by its successive owners. The last Hungarian inhabitants remained there until in 1943 when the coming of the front in
World War II inspired the Salamon family to abandon it. The last countess left with her children two years before the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...
marched in. The final reconstruction of the castle was completed in 1963 under the supervision of the
Polish Ministry of Culture. It has served as a historical museum ever since.
Recent conservation concerns
A new artificial
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French language, French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to water storage, store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a num ...
,
Lake Czorsztyn, was created in 1994 by
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
ming the Dunajec River downstream of the castle. The castle now stands approx. above the upper water level. The castle hill consists of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
rock saddled on
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments ( silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
and
marl found much below the current bed of the Dunajec River. Studies and analyses show that rock strata forming the limestone bank are weather-resistant, and provide secure foundation for the castle in spite of visible surface deterioration. In order to secure the stability of the hill, a number of reinforcing works were effected in the strip between the high- and low-water marks. The works include concrete reinforcement of rocks,
substratum
In linguistics, a stratum (Latin for "layer") or strate is a language that influences or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum or substrate is a language that has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum or su ...
(weathered shale and marl) replacement, and surface protection elements on the hill. The castle and the hill are subject to constant monitoring.
The museum
Although in large part only ruins remain of what used to be the
Gothic castle in Niedzica, its dungeons and a number of rooms survived, as have some of the paintings — including the Crucifixion that once adorned the chapel — and furnishings which are not entirely as they were in the 1930s. The architectural design consists of a densely packed complex of buildings with a courtyard surrounded by residential wings with arcades, towers and fortified walls.
The museum in Niedzica holds archaeological
artifacts related to the castle, remnants of the masonry that once adorned its interiors, prints and engravings with views of the castle from various periods, and historical documentation. The museum's collections include ethnographic exhibits from the
Spiš region, a collection of antique clocks, 18th and 19th century pistols, hunting rifles, and
taxidermied
Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proce ...
game. In 1996, a new collection was added. Because of the fortress's Hungarian origins, Ákos Engelmayer, Hungarian ambassador to Poland (1990-1995), donated his collection of Hungarian-related items of historical interest from Poland, such as maps of Hungary from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, engravings depicting various Hungarian kings and castles, as well as cities and battlegrounds; which it is hoped have become the largest collection of Hungarian-related materials outside of Hungary. The castle is a great place to visit. The views are magnificent, particularly to the south over the Pieniny mountains.
The legend
Before the Czorsztyn reservoir was built, the castle had a very
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...
-like setting, perched high on a wall above the Dunajec River. It was a place rich in tales and legends with some of the former residents resembling characters from
gothic novels. In the post-
World War II period Polish newspapers wrote at length about Sebastián Berzeviczy
(one of Niedzica's owners) who traveled to the New World in the 18th century.
[ About Sebastián Berzeviczy at www.pieniny.sk/ciele/niedzica/en.html](_blank)
/ref> According to a popular legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
, he fell in love with the alleged Inca princess. Their daughter Umina[Umina, the Inca daughter of Sebastián Berzeviczy (source in Polish only)](_blank)
/ref> married the nephew[ Andrés Túpac Amaru, nephew of Tupac Amaru II, mentioned alongside rebel leader Tupac Katari in Wikipedia] of an Inca insurrection leader Túpac Amaru II, whose assumed name implied descent from Inca kings. Túpac Amaru was eventually executed by the Spaniards after rebelling against the colonial government. The legend goes on to claim that the sacred scrolls of the Incas
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admi ...
had been handed down to his surviving family members. His nephew, Andrés Túpac Amaru a.k.a. Andreas[Andreas and Umina in Europe. (source in Polish only)](_blank)
/ref> with wife Umina
/ref> and his father-in-law Sebastián Berzeviczy fled to Italy, where Andrés was killed in suspicious circumstances. Consequently, Umina with son and her father fled to Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
and settled at the castle. Sources claim that Umina was assassinated there some time later. Her testament to son Anton, written in 1797 and stored there, allegedly contained information about the lost treasure of the Incas. There was a leaden case found at the castle with some “quipu
''Quipu'' (also spelled ''khipu'') are recording devices fashioned from strings historically used by a number of cultures in the region of Andean South America.
A ''quipu'' usually consisted of cotton or camelid fiber strings. The Inca people ...
” writings, but it was lost in Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in the following years. Later, news appeared about expeditions searching for fantastic treasures at Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, i ...
in Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
. The notion that the Inca treasure map
A treasure map is a map that marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and contai ...
could be hidden somewhere in the depths of the castle is still cherished today.
Other tales follow the exploits of a motley crew of the castle's other former owners. They include stories of counts and jesters who tortured village folk, stabbed priests and misbehaved.
The graphic novel
The legend of Niedzica was also the inspiration for a graphic novel, "Rainbow and the Sun" by Roko Zaper, which follows Andre Benesz as he discovers his heritage and the past he never knew.
Gallery
File:20180414 Zamek w Niedzicy 2345 DxO.jpg, View of Niedzica Castle with the Czorsztyn Castle ruins in the background
File:20180414 Zamek w Niedzicy 8832 DxO.jpg, Aerial view of the castle
File:Niedzica zamek o zachodzie.jpg, Niedzica Castle at dusk
File:Niedzica-13.JPG, Castle interiors
See also
* Dunajec river castles
* Pieniny National Park (Poland)
''
, iucn_category = II
, photo = Pieniny Trzy Korony.jpg
, photo_caption = View of Trzy Korony Massif from Dunajec River
Park logo with stylized Trzy Korony Massif
, map = Poland , relief = 1
, map_caption = Location in Poland
Map of Pie ...
* Dunajec River Gorge
The Dunajec River Gorge ( pl, Przełom Dunajca; sk, Prielom Dunajca; german: Dohnst-Schlucht) runs through the Pieniny Mountains in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia (as Dunajec is the border river between the two countries in the are ...
* Castles in Poland
References
External links
Graphic Novel Based on Legend
at the Internet Archive. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
at the Internet Archive. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in 1326
Castles in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Gothic Revival architecture in Poland
Berzeviczy family
Museums in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Nowy Targ County
Historic house museums in Poland