The Kapy Castle from Uroi. Historical and Geographical Survey
Castelul familiei Kapy de la Uroi. Analiză istorică și geografică

Summary/Abstract: The current study presents one of most unknown monuments in Hunedoara County. As this is only the incipient stage of the research, the approach covered both historical and geographical aspects. The area in which the fortification was constructed has a rich history. In this regard, Măgura Uroiului hill played a defining role, being used as an observation point or a rock quarry. The ruins of a fortified residence are located at the foot of this volcanic neck, where the Strei River flows into the Mureș River and close to the place where the latter was crossed since the ancient times (on a bridge during the Roman Age and with the help of a ferry port in the Middle Ages).„The Uroi fortress”, as it is known in the historiography, was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century by András Kapy, a person close to Prince Gábor Bethlen. Unfortunately, the existence of the nobiliary court for almost a century did not benefit of documentary sources. According to his will, drafted in 1634, Kapy constructed here a residence worthy of any nobleman. Inherited by his son, György, the castle is mentioned in some narrative sources from the second half of the seventeenth century, such as the journal of Ambrus Keczer from Lipova or the memoirs of count Miklós Bethlen. As a result of field research, but also of aerial photography and of the digital elevation model, it can be concluded that the residence constructed by András Kapy had a square plan, similar to the ones from Lăzarea, Racoșul de Jos, Albești or Miercurea Ciuc. The south-eastern corner, which creates the impression of a pentagon, seems to be composed by separate and previous structures. The circumstances in which the castle was destroyed are unknown. The historical sources point to the fact that this process was gradual, probably the effect of its abandonment by the descendants of Kapy family.

• Details
• Contents