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slovakcastles:

Trenčiansky hrad | Trenčín Castle Slovakia 

Trenčín Castle is a National Cultural Relic sitting above Váh River and one of the mightiest medieval complexes in Slovakia.

Location on goole map

Architecture: romanesque, gothic, baroque, renaissance

Archaeological findings prove its inhabitation already in the Early Bronze Age. Trenčín Castle territory was already important in the Roman Empire as shows the inscription carved to the castle rock  glorifying the victory of the II. Roman Legion over the German tribes (179-180 A. D.). Pre-romanesque rotunda on the acropolis and the findings evidencing for the existence of crafts in the area of the lower castle in the time of Great Moravian Empire in 9th century. Castle`s existence is evidenced by written documents indirectly since as early as 1068 A. D. and directly in a bill dated 1111 A. D. 

The history of the castle is very long and rich. Main highlights in the history are:

• Matúš Čák of Trenčín ”Lord of the river Váh and the Tatra Mountains“ - his seat in later 13-14th century. He gave name to the Matúš Tower, which dominates both the castle silhouette as well as the town. 
• Extensions of the castle by King Ludovít the Great who had repaired the damaged castle inflicted by the armies of the King Charles Robert in 1321 and became the venue of several international negotiations.
• In the 15th century, the castle’s belonged to Queen Barbara Cellska, the second wife of king Sigismund of Luxembourg. 
• Mathias Corvinus got engaged and married here to the daughter of theBohemian King George of Poděbrady in 1461.
• Zápolský family who rebuild the castle in a way, which is a unique fortification system, singular in central Europe from the architectonic point of view. During their reign, the water well is connected to ”WELL of LOVE” legend - the Turkishprince Omar and his great love for the beautiful Fatima, whom he had to redeem by digging a well in the rock. 
• In 1790, it was desolated by fire. First repairs of the castle’s ruins began in 1912, however, a systematic reconstruction has been carried out since 1956 up to this day. 
• The Trenčín castle had seen below its walls hostile armies of Czech and Polish kings, Tatar hordes, Bočkay and Bethlen hayducks, imperial landsknechts, soldiers of the Turkish sultan, Tatars of the Khan of Krym, companies of the Duke of Sesia, and Kurucs and Labanec armies.  However, it has never been conquered by a direct attack.

Museum exhibition here documents the history of the region and of the castle – historic furniture, weapons (e.g. firearms coming from 13th -19th cent.), paintings etc. as well as a castle gallery, archaeological collections and findings. Its artistic and historic importance crosses the borders of Slovakia and belongs to the cultural wealth of Europe.

Diplomatic traditions of the Trenčín castle didn’t remain forgotten. In May 24-25, 2002 the summit of the prime ministers and ministers of foreign affairs of the states of the Visegrad group and Benelux took place at the castle, and in 2004 the visit of the participants in the NATO Parliamentary session were carried out at the castle as well.

In this moment by *Burning-Liquid

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