Kapušian Castle is situated on the hill Zámčisko above the village Kapušany near Prešov.
The national cultural monument is located at an altitude of 504 m above sea level in the nature reserve Kapušiansky hradný vrch (Kapušian Castle Hill) with an area of 18.1 ha and an important botanical site on volcanic rocks. An ancient Slavic hillfort is presumed to be on its site.
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 captured by the royal army after a revolt of its owner Henry of Brezovice, who was imprisoned after the capture of 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.
In 1440 King Vladislav I. Jagelovský gave the castle to the nobles from Rozhanovce, but in 1464 it is already mentioned as the property of John of Kapušiany. A charter from 1468, by which King Matthias ordered Košice, Bardejov and Prešov to assist Imrich Zápoľský in the conquest of Kapušian Castle, shows that it was occupied by the Brahmins. At the end of the 15th century, it became the target of an attack by the Polish troops of John Albert. After these attacks, the castle was damaged and therefore rebuilt in the following century and the lower courtyard was enlarged. Gradually, outbuildings, craft workshops and a guardhouse were added. At the turn of the 16th-17th century, the manor 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. The castle returned to the Kapy family in 1712 and the widow of Gabriel of Kapušiany - Eva Gergelakyová 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.
Since then the castle has been deserted. However, in 1879 the castle was still relatively well preserved, only without roofs (according to Miskovszský's drawings). In 1975-1976 archaeological research was carried out at Kapušiński Castle and it was included in the list of national cultural monuments. The Roman Catholic dean Juraj Macák was also involved in archaeological activities at this place. In 2012, after almost three hundred years, work began on the conservation and restoration of the castle, including the necessary archaeological, architectural and historical research. The work continues to this day.
Today, the castle is a very well-preserved ruin with a beautiful view of the Slanské vrchy hills, but also the Sekčov valley and the Ondavská vrchovina (Ondavská Highlands).
The castle is popular for cyclists as well as for runners. Usually from the side of Tulčík and Fulianka.
Kapušian Castle is part of Šariš Castle Road.
Photo: OOCR Región Šariš, Pierre Bona
Map
Information
- along the green tourist trail, which is located below the Fintice quarry. The trail leads along a bar and is less demanding to climb than from the village of Kapušany.
- estimated time 1:30 hrs. with stops at Kikapa (resting place of Tulčík's mushroom hunters) and at the spring, under the castle hill
