The castle in Gyalu evokes its centuries-old past again in its full glory, according to the plans, the castle can be opened to visitors in the spring of next year.

The technical handover of the Gyal castle near Cluj, owned by the Transylvanian Traditions Foundation, established by businessman Elek Nagy, took place. The businessman bought the monument from the heirs of the Barcsay family and donated it to the Transylvanian Traditions Foundation – Fundatia Traditii Transilvane (EHA), founded by him.

The restoration of the castle was carried out based on the documentation and work of the Tektum Architectura & Arta architect design office and the RegioConsult project consulting office.

After the EU tender won in 2017, the renovation works began already in 2018 with the cooperation of the companies ADD Concept and Kvadrum Axis. The value of the entire project exceeds 30 million lei, which was created from the European Union funding announced by the Romanian government, the support of the Hungarian government, and the EHA's contribution of more than 3 million euros.

The castle garden is also beautified

The renovation will continue in 2024 with the restoration of the castle park with a project awarded within the framework of a 2.15 million euro tender, from which the Roman castrum adjacent to the castle and the garden will be fully arranged.

According to the plans, the Gyal castle can once again become one of the jewels of Transylvania as a multifunctional cultural center. Another goal is to make the castle an important tourist destination in Cluj County and Transylvania, displaying the centuries-old historical role of the building complex, and bringing to life the specific cultural value arising from the meeting of several landscape units (Kalotaszeg, Mócvidék).

The castle, which dates back almost 500 years, was regained by the Barcsay family barely a decade ago

The current square plan of the castle, reinforced with cylindrical towers at the corners, was created in the 1540s. The most significant transformation of the castle took place during the reign of György I. Rákóczi (1630-1648), the prince demolished the old buildings of the inner courtyard, and then transformed the castle into a comfortable, representative castle, which functioned as one of the most important residences of the Rákóczi princes until the 1660s. then Dénes Bánffy acquired it for his family.

The castle, which was besieged several times during the Rákóczi War of Independence, fell into ruins, and was then rebuilt into the romantic Bánffyak castle in the 1830s. The castle burned down in 1861, it was restored after 1871, and then in 1911 the building underwent major renovations.

Tamás Barcsay married Katinka Bánffy, so the castle came into the possession of the Barcsays, which was nationalized in 1948, and was only regained by the Barcsay family in the early 2010s. The most beautiful known elements of the building were made during the time of bishop László Geréb (1479-1502), and in addition to the late Gothic pieces, in Transylvania, early XV. Renaissance carvings from the end of the century also appear.

MTI

Photo: MTI / Gábor Kiss