Corvin Castle

Introduction to Corvin Castle

Dating back to the 15th century, Corvin Castle is today ranked among the Top 10 Fairy Tale Destinations in Europe, marking Romania as one of the most cherished tourist areas. John of Hunedoara was the one who, in the 14th and 15th centuries, decided to build the imposing fortress, which spans 7,000 square meters and houses 42 rooms, 2 terraces, and 2 bridges.

Visitor Experience

Annually, over 70,000 tourists gather at Corvin Castle, eager to relive the written and unwritten history, the unsolved mystery that follows each visitor through the castle's corridors.

Legends of Corvin Castle

Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or the Castle of the Hunyadi Family, is located in Hunedoara, sheltering 3 legends that, once you arrive there, you will hear from guides or locals eager to share precious information with those whose thirst for knowledge abounds in unraveling the mystery.

The Legend of the Raven

Thus, the Legend of the Raven says that John of Hunedoara was the illegitimate son of the love between Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary, and a woman of breathtaking beauty from the Hațeg region, named Elizabeth. To hide this incident, the woman marries one of the king's knights, Voicu, and the little child receives a ring as a gift.

Over time, the ring is forgotten, and a raven, attracted by its brilliance, steals it. At that moment, John of Hunedoara shoots the raven, managing to regain possession of the gift from his father. It is said that this is where the emblem of the Castle and the entire family originates.

The Legend of the Well

The Legend of the Well differs from the previous one through the characters involved. It is said that John of Hunedoara hosted 3 Turkish prisoners in the castle, to whom he promised freedom on the condition that they dig a well with good water.

After 15 years of digging, reaching 28 meters and, respectively, good water, the prisoners demand the fulfillment of the other part of the promise. However, during that time, John of Hunedoara dies, and his wife, Elizabeth Szilagyi, decides not to honor her husband's word but to have them killed.

As a final wish, the prisoners request that the keys to the well be inscribed with:

• "You have water, but no heart."

In return, after decoding the message, it is inscribed:

• "He who wrote it is Hassan, a prisoner of the infidels in the fortress near the church."

The Legend of the Construction of the Fortress

The Legend of the Construction of the Fortress in Hunedoara is mentioned in the Greek-Catholic vicariate of Hațeg and hides the mystery of the 3 fairies. It is said that each of them built a fortress:

1. One in Hunead
2. Another in Grădiște
3. The last one in Orlea

At one point, all 3 meet and ask each other about the fortress they built. The one who was constructing the fortress in Hunedoara claims, with God's will, that she will finish the construction in the following week.

Over time, the other 2 fortresses fell, and then, seeing that only the one in Hunedoara still stood, the other 2 fairies hurried to destroy it as well.