HISTORY OF BOJNICE CASTLE
Early Modern Period
– the Thurzó family
(1527 – 1636)
Ferdinand I of Austria gave Bojnice Castle to his supporter Alexius Thurzó, one of the richest Hungarian nobles, which started an important era of the Thurzó family in the history and development of Bojnice and the castle. During the royal dual reign, John Zapolja tried to withdraw Thurzó to his side, which Thurzó refused. In retaliation, the Ottomans plundered the Thurzó family estates. In 1530, the Ottoman commander Murád-beg Tardić and his Herzegovinian troops raided the town of Bojnice. The population that hid behind the castle walls saved their lives, but they were impoverished and the town below the castle was burnt to the ground.
Thanks to the efforts of the Zapolja and Thurzó families, Bojnice Castle was already well fortified at that time. Both noble families contributed to its several reconstructions, which brought especially the enlargement of the living quarters and also the improvement of the outer fortification. The Thurzó family built up the upper castle with representative wings and built new palaces in the forecourt.
The town of Bojnice and the castle gained importance under Stanislaus III Thurzó (1576–1625). It was during this period that Bojnice became an important centre of the Reformation in the territory of present-day Slovakia and the seat of the superintendent.
The beginning of the 17th century was marked by the uprising of Stephen Bocskai in Upper Hungary, which heralded a long wave of Estates’ uprisings. Bocskai's army swept through Upper Nitra in 1605. It also surrounded Bojnice Castle. However, the owner of the castle, Michael Thurzó, protected it from the siege and possible destruction by an agreement with Bocskai.
The next in a series of uprisings was the uprising of Gabriel Bethlen. The Thurzó family initially maintained good relations with him in an unclear political situation, but later Bethlen sacked Bojnice during his military campaign across the territory of present-day Slovakia.
With Michael's death in 1636, the last surviving branch of the Thurzó family died out, thus ending their 109-year possession of Bojnice Castle. This time, too, the castle and the manor were returned to the king's possession.
1. The Turkish cavalry raided the territory of the Bojnice manor, 2. Coat of arms of the Thurzó family, owners of Bojnice Castle, 3. Nicolas Pálffy, who liberated Ráb (Győr) from the Turks in 1598, 4. Mortuary of Nicolas Pálffy (above the entrance to the Huňady Hall of Bojnice Castle), who received the title of count for his family for his victories over the Turks, 5. Stephen Bocskai, leader of the first of the Estates’ uprisings in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1604-1606, 6. Prince of Transylvania Gabriel Bethlen, leader of the 2nd Estate Uprising in 1619 – 1626
The Thurzó family significantly rebuilt the castle in a Renaissance style. Its appearance was captured in 1639 by the painter Ledentu on two views of Bojnice. So far, this is the first more comprehensive preserved view of the castle.
Explore these amazing drawings in more detail by clicking on their previews:
View of the city center with the castle in the background. The drawing captures the view of the Renaissance castle from the middle of the 17th century as the author saw it from the church tower at the time. It was just before the extensive baroque reconstruction of its next owner...
View of Bojnice from the west, from the area of today's calvary. To the left of the entrance gate there is an outbuilding, which no longer exists today - proof of its presence is only the visible unevenness of the terrain at the site of its foundation and the walled entrance to the cellar under former building, which is still visible today from the side of the lake in the park.
Development of firearms
Hákovnica zo Spiša 1500-1590
Kanón z levočských mestských hradieb 17. stor.
Guľa delostrelecká reťazová 1600-1700
Puška predovka 1601-1700
The period of Early Modern Period modern age is characterized by the advent of firearms, to which in the 16th and 17th centuries the tactics and strategy of fighting and defense itself were gradually adapted. In Upper Hungary, this period was marked by numerous Turkish incursions and estate uprisings - the further construction development of Bojnice Castle corresponded to this.
Image source: slovakiana.sk
