Via Sancti Martin

Traces of Roman construction have been found in the foundations of the castle. The oldest part is the lower half of the tower castle, the so-called escape corridor dating from the 14th century, and the attached cross-vaulted room. The chapel attached to the eastern corner of the castle tower, built in Gothic style by Bishop Orban Dóczy in 1481-86, is a rare example of a two-storey castle chapel. After the Battle of Mohács (1526), the castle passed into the hands of the castle captains. The castle was constantly fortified in the face of the Turkish threat.

The most important reconstruction was carried out between 1561 and 1575, according to the plans of Pietro Ferrabosco from Italy. Despite this, the castle was captured by the Turks on 29 September 1594. Four years later, however, on 28 March 1598, the castle fell back into Hungarian hands, but the bishops were not allowed to move back to their seat until the mid-18th century. Bishop Ferenc Zichy (1743-1783) restored the building and enlarged it to its present form. The final restoration of the castle and palace was completed in 1984. During the renovation, parts of the medieval tower façade were found on the tower wall and were also restored.

In June 2004, a permanent exhibition was opened on Bishop William Apor, who was shot by Russian soldiers in the cellar under the castle in 1945. The exhibition commemorates the martyrdom of William Apor: it presents his life, his activities, his sacrifice and his martyrdom. In addition to excerpts from the Bishop's diary, the life sacrifice of Bishop Apor to the point of martyrdom is recalled through the use of objects, documents, music, lighting effects and various audiovisual tools.

From the top of the tower, a magnificent panorama is revealed.

Text and image source: https://csodalatosmagyarorszag.hu/latnivalok/muemlekek-szobrok/puspokvar-toronykilato-gyor/