Bzovik Fortress & Monastery, Slovakia
Bzovik is a Gothic-Renaisance fortress built against Turkish (Ottoman Empire) invasions. It is former monastery of Premonstrans. Its beginnings date back before 1135.
Location on MAP : GPS: N 48.31523 E 19.089498
Architecture : Gothic, Renaissance
Founded by Lampert from family Hunt-Poznanyi together with son Nikolas and wife Zofia, sister of King Ladislav. The monastery church was built in the first half of the 12th century, despite its mention for the first time in written records in 1285. Devastated by Hussites in 1433 then rebuilt in Gothic Style (1444-1446) - new chapel to the old Romanesque single nave church with two towers + new monastery wing and garden of paradise. The monastery was burned down in 1471 by people from Krupina. In 1530 Zigmund Balassa attacked the monastery, he evicted the monks and rebuilt the monastery on grandiose scale to anti Turkish fortress - surrounded by high-fortified wall and four corner bastions + moat around the fortress. After 1678 the fortress was repaired and rebuilt in Baroque style by Estergom’s bishop Juraj Szelepcsényi. These holdings were managed by Estergom’s Chapter up to 1908 when they were sold. Partly destroyed during WW II, but most of the fortress still stand.