Spiš Castle, a mighty medieval fortress built by Hungarian kings, stands on a 200m-high limestone spur in the Košice Region of eastern Slovakia. Standing stone columns descending the slope to the left were once connected by baulks of timber to form a first line of defence against attackers seeking to assault the main gate, which was further protected by a deep ditch and a high wall.
Spiš Castle, Spišské Podhradie, Košice Region, eastern Slovakia: the formidable stronghold of Spiš Castle or Spišský hrad, founded in the early 13th century by Hungarian kings, seems to grow from the rock on which it stands, a 200m-high spur of travertine limestone. At the centre of the fortress, a circular donjon tower or keep about 22m (72 ft) across rises above the ruined tops of ancient limestone walls pierced by empty window openings. In this view from the east, the line of standing stone columns descending he slope on the left could be linked by baulks of timber to form a first line of outer defence against enemy forces seeking to attack the castle’s main gate. If the attackers breached that line, they were then faced by a deep ditch and a high wall. Spiš Castle successfully repelled a Tartar siege in 1241 and was then the focus for many other armed conflicts as noble owners rebelled against the monarchy and fought each other for the right to own it. Spiš grew to become Central Europe’s largest fortified complex, but in the late 1600s, its last private owners, the Csáky family, moved to a more comfortable home and in 1780, the site was abandoned after a disastrous fire. A thorough restoration programme, launched in 1969, led to the castle and its environs being granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Extensive archaeological research has been carried out at the site and the fortress is now a popular visitor attraction. Despite being robbed of stone over several decades, the remains still illustrate the stages in castle development through the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Spiš Castle or Spišský hrad, Košice Region, Slovakia.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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