Kapušian Castle

Kapušian Castle It is situated on Zámčisko Hill above the village of Kapušany near Prešov. Kapušany Castle, a national cultural monument, is situated at an altitude of 504 metres above sea level in a nature reserve Kapušiansky Castle Hill covering an area of 18.1 ha, with a significant botanical site on volcanic rock. An ancient Slavic hillfort is believed to have stood on this site.

The adventurous story of the servant Quack

Name Kapušany Castle comes from the Hungarian word kapu (gate). In the past, it was the main crossing point to Poland, which is evidenced by the toll collection documented in 1332. The strategic location necessitated the construction of a stone castle. The hill was already In the 13th century there was a royal castle, which was called Maglovec or Mogluch, named after the owner Maglod, whose family died out in 1300. In 1315 it was conquered by the royal army after the revolt of its owner Henrich of Brezovice, who was imprisoned after capturing the castle. The castellan was freed by his faithful servant Kvaka by sacrificing himself and exchanging his master in the dungeon. When this exchange was discovered, Kvaka was cruelly punished by having both hands cut off. The castellan did not forget the self-sacrificing servant and gave him the village of Kvakov as compensation. After the departure of the royal troops, the heavily damaged castle fell into disrepair. In 1347, it is mentioned only as the site of the demolished castle - locus castri. Later the owner Andrej de Koka built a new castle on the old preserved walls. According to contemporary records, the construction of the castle required 165 barrels of wine and several thousand eggs, in addition to a considerable amount of money. The castle was built as a residential residence for the manor and later served for soldiers.

The turbulent history of the castle

In 1440, King Vladislav I Jagiellon granted the castle to the nobles of Rozhanovce, but by 1464 it was already mentioned as the property of Ján of Kapušany. A document from 1468, in which King Matthias ordered Košice, Bardejov and Prešov to assist Imrich Zápoľský in the conquest of Kapušiansky Castle, suggests that it had been occupied by the Brethren. At the end of the 15th century, it came under attack by the Polish forces of John Albert. Following these attacks, the castle was damaged and was therefore rebuilt in the following century, with the addition of a lower courtyard. Farm buildings, craft workshops and a guardhouse were gradually added. At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the estate moved to manor house in Tulčík and the castle is transformed into a refugial (serving as a refuge). The castle remains garrisoned and the nobility only moves there in case of danger. During the anti-Habsburg rebellion, the castle was occupied in 1686 by the well-known Kuruc leader Imrich Tököly. In 1709 it fell into the hands of Francis II. Rákoczi, whose leader Telekessy had the castle set on fire. Kapušian Castle returned to the Kapy family in 1712 and the widow of Gabriel of Kapušian - Eva Gergelaky had it rebuilt. However, 3 years later it was burnt down by decision of the Hungarian Diet to prevent it from becoming the centre of the anti-Habsburg movement.

Extensive archaeological research

Since then, the castle has stood in ruins. However, as late as 1879, the castle was still relatively well-preserved, albeit without roofs (according to Miskovszky’s drawings). Between 1975 and 1976, archaeological research was carried out at Kapušiansky Castle and it was included in the list of national cultural monuments. The Roman Catholic dean Juraj Macák was also involved in the archaeological work at this site. In 2012, after almost three hundred years, work began on the conservation and restoration of the castle, a National Cultural Monument, including the necessary archaeological and architectural-historical research, and this work continues to this day.

Today, the castle is a very well-preserved ruin offering a magnificent view, particularly of Slanské vrchy, as well as the Sekčova Valley and the Ondava Uplands.

The castle is popular with cyclists as well as runners – usually from the direction of the villages of Tulčík and Fulianka.

Kapušiansky Castle is part of Šariš Castle Road.

Source: OOCR RŠ
Source of photographs: OOCR RŠ