Pustý hrad

Aerial view of the Pustý castle.

Pustý hrad (in Slovak: "deserted castle") is a castle whose ruins are located on a forested hill near Zvolen in central Slovakia.

The Deserted castle belongs to one of the key archaeological sites in Slovakia. It is situated in the southern part of Zvolen. The castle consists of two parts: Upper and Lower castle. Long-time research carried out by Václav Hanuliak at the Upper castle (1992 - 2008) proved unambiguously the existence of an older prehistoric stone wall, on which a medieval wall had been built. Pottery fragments, especially from the late Bronze Age were found inside the wall filling. Besides findings of Lusatian culture also fragments of Kyjatice culture were found there. Findings of Baden culture prove that the strategic location of the hill was also used in later Stone Age. Protohistoric settlement can be documented by brooches and ceramics from La Téne period. A treasure consisting of different articles from Bronze Age was found in 1944 at the north-western slope of the Upper castle. It was placed under approximately 8 meters high rock. After it had been discovered by partisans in 1944 it was probably divided into several parts. A part of the treasure was discovered in 2001. The first season of the research at the Lower castle in 2009 proved the existence of prehistoric wall below the western line of medieval fortification. Its construction was originally of stone-earth material. Pottery explicitly from the late Stone Age was found inside its filling. Findings from younger and late Bronze Age have also been confirmed at the courtyard of the Lower castle. A royal comitatus castle tower from the 12th century is the oldest building of the Deserted castle. It is located together with its fortification at a highest point of the castle hill – at an elevation of 571 m above sea level. An oldest report of Pustý hrad can be found in a historical source called Gesta Hungarorum (Acts of Hungarians) written at the beginning of the 13th century. After a Tartar invasion a great defensive fortification was built at Deserted castle. Its construction was organized by a stonemason master Bertold. In 1255 sovereign Belo IV donated him as a reward for his services at royal castles property extracted from royal castle Zvolen (castro nostro de Zolum). It is probable that during that period fortification at both Upper (3.5 ha) and Lower (0.65 ha) castle was built as well as a defense wall in the saddle below Lower castle (206 m long). Tower no. 2 at Upper castle is also from the same period and presumably also the donjon of Lower castle. The donjon with its ground plan of 20 x 20 m belongs to biggest residential buildings in Central Europe. Together with the entrance gate of Upper castle it presents the best preserved architecture of the castle. Gothic building period at Deserted castle can be dated to the end of the 13th century and the first third of the 14th century. During that phase a four-storey tower was added to the entrance gate of the Upper castle. Defense bastion with a transverse wall was built up north-eastwards of the residential tower no. 2. This way a base-court was created by building of another castle as an independent defense and residential unit within the upper location of Deserted castle. The comitatus castle from the end of the 13th century was built in its northern panhandle. Its construction is related to Balaša family with counts Demeter and Donč. Therefore also a working name Donč castle is used for this part of the castle. It disposed of a separate fortification, palace, object in front of the palace and a water tank and its courtyard was arranged with terraces. The terraces were used in the first half of the 15th century by troops of Jan Jiskra of Brandýs as they built up low ground residential objects there. Decline and extinction of castle Zvolen can be dated to the 15th century, the period of military conflicts between Ján Huňady and Ján Jiskra. According to a written document from 1451 Old Zvolen (Deserted castle) has been burnt down by Ján Huňady. The last building built at Deserted castle was a watchtower from the second half of the 16th century. Some parts of the castle have been therefore recently reconstructed.

External links

• History of the castle Template:Sk icon
• Short description and access
• Satellite view of Pustý hrad
• Information about history and archaeology, new picture