Photos

...following a short path from the centre of the Divin village, among ancient pine-trees, you will come to a quiet cemetery lying on a meadow full of flowers and surrounded by forests and groves...and above this beautiful summery country, castle Divin towers with its medieval walls...

...ruins of this castle are situated straight above Divin village, near the recreation area Ruzina, in the South-western Slovakia. Main purpose of the castle was defensive, especially against Turks. The castle preserved its walls and disposition of a medieval castle. It was gradually uncovered by an archaeological exploration and conserved. In the present time the works on it are stopped.

History

The castle originated in 1275-1320. A written record about it together with the settlement on its foothill is from the year 1329. It was the centre of domain Divín and it belonged gradually to the Lossonczy family, the Balass family and finally to the Zichy seniority. The Lossonczy family gradually rebuilt it and enlarged it. From the year 1472, it constantly changed its owners. When the Turks conquered Filakovo in 1554 and made there the seat of their administration territory, the Divín castle gained importance in the defensive system of the Middle Slovak cities. The castle object was ment and rebuilt into an anti-Turk fortress. However these arrangements didn’t restrain the castle to be under the reign of Turks. They possessed the castle from 1575 and lived there till 1593. The Turks made Divín castle an administration territory into which 15 settlements were included, that had to pay rates to Turks. Imperial army conquered the Divín castle in the year 1593. At the beginning of the 17th century the castle was fortified again. In the second half of the 17th century it was known because of raging of its owner Imrich Balassa, who for several decades used to assault and trouble surrounded villages. That is why the castle was conquered and destroyed by imperial army in 1683 after the death of Imrich Balassa. Since then the castle has been a ruin.