Simontornya Castle

History
The Tower was built in the 13th century by Simon (Son of Salamon) among the swamps of the Sió river. The name Simontornya means Simon's Tower. Nearly all owners of the castle made some alterations throughout the centuries. The Lackfi's built a new gothic wing in the 14th century, altered the old Tower, and added an arcaded loggia to the back-front. After the extinction of the Garai family in 1482, the castle again belonged to Queen Beatrix, wife of Matthias Corvinus. Simontornya Castle from the North side

Mózes Buzlay, marshall of King Ulászló II improved the castle into a renaissance palace with the help of Italian masters and craftsmen from Buda. After Buzlays' death the castle was taken over by the Turks in 1545. This event marked the beginning of a new era with an emphasis on military requirements. During the nearly 150 years of occupation minor alterations and refinements were constantly being made.

Simontornya, the center of a sandjak was recaptured by Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden in 1686. In just two years (1702-1704) major alterations turned the castle into a fortress. During the revolution against the Habsburgs, led by Prince Francis II Rákóczi, Simontornya became the stronghold of the Kuruc rebels in southwest Hungary. The fortress was captured by the Austrian army in 1709 housing troops until 1717. The castle fortress was later donated to the House of Limburg-Stirum, but, after building a new a castle, they turned the old one into a barn. It has been used as a barn by all new owners until 1960, when archeological excavations started.
source: Wikipedia

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Sárvár Castle / Nádasdy Castle

History
Today’s castle is a "result" of two former parts that were built together: the three-storey tower block from the XIII. Century (today it is the south-western part) and the one-storey wing, that is the northern part today. The fist mentioning in writing dates back to 1288.

The next large-scale construction works took place in the second half of the XV. Century, in Gothic style. Under the Kanizsai era, a three-storey residence, with vast knights’ halls, was built in place of today’s southern wing. The lower level of today’ gate-tower was built at the end of the XV. Century. By the beginning of the XVI. Century a huge, enclosed courtyard was established, which was protected by earth walls enhanced with carven wood pillars. The Nádasdy family owned the castle from 1534 to 1671. During the reconstruction in the Renaissance period the shape of the castle was formed, which can be seen today. Hans Rudolf Miller painted the ceiling frescoes in the knights’ hall1653, the paintings on the side walls, depicting scenes from the Old Testament, are the works of István Dorfmeister from 1769. Today’s defence system with ancient Italian bastions was built between 1588 and 1615. The archduke, Ferdinand Estei bought the castle in 1803, his ancestor had it restored. The Renaissance row of arcades in the eastern wing was bricked up, corridors were built in the wing on the first floor, and hence one could walk along the entire castle. The moat was filled up and the bridge, that can be seen today, was set upon it. In the XIX-XX. centuries only minor changes were made, subsequently the castle looks today like a fortified late-Renaissance (XVI-XVII century) castle.

source: Hotel Villa Classica

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Magyaregregy - Márévár Castle

History
Máré Castle, in the southern Transdanubia village of Magyaregregy, was built in Gothic style in the 13th century on the remains of a Roman watchtower, and later rebuilt in Renaissance style. According to legend, Máré was a soldier who lived in the castle with his wife, and another soldier, Miklós, lived nearby. When the king called the soldiers to the army, Máré left, but Miklós stayed. Miklós and Máré's wife fell in love and eventually had a daughter. When Máré came home from the war, he went into a rage, destroyed the castle and killed his wife. The daughter born out of wedlock survived by hiding in the cellar, but before Máré's wife died, she cursed her daughter, making her the protector of the castle's treasures. The curse imprisoned her daughter in the cellar and she will not be free until someone dares to kiss her in the form of a bull, a snake or a frog.
source: caboodle.hu

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Kőszeg - Jurisics Castle

History
The walled town and the castle within were part of the national defence system. The Gothic inner castle built in the 13th-14th-century was later refurbished in a Renaissance and Baroque style.
The castle evolved continuously from the 13th-century onwards. Not only of a strategic and defensive nature, it also had a status role as the centre of the Kőszeg estate. To this day the castle's twin character has been preserved and it is easy to imagine both the outer and the inner castle surrounded by a moat. Although today a stone bridge leads towards the gate of the outer castle, the stone sockets above the gate bear witness to the former drawbridge.
In the outer castle courtyard is a statue of castle defender Nikola Jurisic (Jurisics Miklós) as well as part of the castle's former outbuildings. The stone bridge leading to the inner castle was laid following dismantlement of the drawbridge.
The trapezoid inner castle courtyard is framed by an arcade erected on the second storey following a 1777 fire. From the courtyard only the eastern wing has retained its original shape. Passing the so-called 'stairway house' visitors may enter the exhibition halls of the Jurisics Castle Museum (Vármúzeum) from where the splendid facade of the Kőszegi Palace (1279-90) can be enjoyed. Another stairway leads up to the knights' hall built between 1392 and 1441. In the north wing Gothic ornamental wall paintings have been preserved. Several decades later, from 1483 to 1490 the late Gothic-early Renaissance row of windows was created along with Renaissance wall paintings and sgraffito. The castle's east and south wings were constructed from the second half of the 15th to the first half of the 16th century. From 1616 to 1695 the inner courtyard was once again refurbished.
The castle owes its name to its captain and defender during the Turkish period, Nikola Jurisics. Some also call it Esterházy Castle given that the Esterházy family owned it for the longest period of 236 years.
Today the castle is home to the Jurisics Community Centre and to the exhibitions of the Castle Museum.
source: Hungary starts here

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