The Corvin’s Castle, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Romania
The Corvin’s Castle or the Hunyad Castle is located in Transylvanian Hunedoara. Considered one of the most famous properties of Johannes Corvin of Hunyad, it is also one of the most important monuments of medieval Gothic art in Europe, over time becoming one of Romania’s top tourist attractions. 
History
The documents of the time mention the existence of a stronghold in the XIV century, situated on the current site of the castle, a royal fortress with an ellipsoidal shape and a refuge tower on the North wing, barred on the South side by a stone wall. The castle was not built by princes of Hunedoara, it was built by Charles Robert of Anjou, king of Hungary.
This estate of the D’Anjou family became the property of the Corvins at the beginning of the XV century (1409), during the times of the nobleman Voicu, as a donation including the fortress and the estate of Hunedoara. Voicu’s son, Johannes Corvin of Hunyad, enlarged the construction existing in the XIV century. He initiated buildings of vast proportions (The Chapel, the palace proper with The Council’s Hall and The Knight’s Hall, the tower of the winding stairway and the South side), focusing to transform the fortress in a castle.
After his death, Elisabeth Szilaghy, his wife and their son, Matthew Corvin, one of the most brilliant kings of medieval Hungary, had the loggia in the North wing built (The Matthew Loggia), the construction of the Chapel and the Council’s Hall completed, and continued the works of embellishing the castle.
In the XV century, the castle was a unique example of nobiliary fortified residence for the area of Transylvania, a dwelling combining specific elements of late Gothic style with the early Renaissance style.
The Corvins owned the castle and the estate of Hunedoara up to 1508, followed by 22 other owners up to XVIII century when the castle and estate became the property of the Habsbourg Empire and the castle it self was turned into the administrative headquarters of the mines and the storage house for the iron products (1724-1854).
The destiny of the castle is linked, in the XVII century, to the personality of prince Gabriel Bethlen (1613-1629), who had some interior modifications executed, had the castle remodeled for the defensive demands of the times, by having the white tower, the artillery platform, the inner precincts and
the Bethlen palace built – the palace merges middle and late Renaissance characteristics – and had the new entrance into the castle opened through the new gate tower.
After a series of minor modifications and fires, the last fire in 1854 having destroyed the whole wooden structure of the castle, the first restoration works was started (1868-1874); as a result, the shingle roof of the castle was replaced with a tile roof, some of the towers were super-elevated, a neo-Gothic façade was built, next to the Bethlen palace, and some interior works and fittings out were executed.
As a museum since 1974 it houses prehistoric and medieval objects
found in the area or brought here from other parts in order to be
displayed.
A tour of the castle includes visits to some fascinating historical places like the Matthew Loggia, the Chapel, the Princesses’ room, the Capistrano Tower, the archaeology exhibition, the Knights’ Hall, the Dieta Hall, the Hussar’ Tower, the Artillery Terrace, the Fountain of the castle and many others.
Hunyad Castle is easily reachable by train, bus or car, about 10km diversion from European road E68. Once you arrived in Hunedoara, the castle is relatively easy to find thanks to a bunch of indicator panels.
