Current name

The Huniade Castle

Address

1 Huniade Square

Dating, names and historical functions

1307 - 1315 (or 1314) Charles Robert of Anjou, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama, and since 1308 king of Hungary, built “with Italian craftsmen” (according to historical tradition) a brick castle, located largely in the courtyard of today’s building.

1315 - 1323 (1316 - 1318, or 1325 according to other sources) – the castle served as a royal residence.

It later served as Timiş county head house.

1407 - 1424 (or 1404 to 1426) – rebuilt in time of Pippo Spano of Ozora county head (Filippo Buondelmonti degli Scolari, 1369 -1426).

1443 – damages from an earthquake.

1443 - 1447 Ioan de Hunedoara takes up residence in Timişoara and restores the castle (architect Paolo Santino da Duccio?).

1551 - 1552 fortification works carried out by Italian military architects. The plane outline of the bastions on the southeast and southwest corners of the building dates back then.

Bombed during the siege of 1551 and 1552.

After 1552 rebuilt, the pasha’s and administrative and military apparatus residence of the Eyalet of Timişoara (an Eyalet was the largest administrative unit in which the Ottoman Empire was divided. The term “pashalik” used in Romanian does not exist in Turkish).

1716 – bombed during the siege.

1727 – reconstruction works. Transformed into an arsenal and artillery barracks.

1849 – bombed during the siege.

1856 – the rebuilding finished, acquiring its current form.

1919 - 1947 the “Banat Barracks” of 7 Pioneer Regiment and 6 Heavy Artillery Regiment.

From 1948 – today established as the Banat Museum.

Archaeological Research

1902 -1902, 1980, from 2007 to date.

Architectural style

Romantic style, the neo-Gothic movement (ogival arches), with some Roman elements (arches in full center).

Uniqueness aspects

It is the “oldest” building in Timişoara. In the courtyard were found masonry foundations and the donjon tower, probably dating from 1307 to 1314.

It contains numerous collections, which are currently largely under reorganization.

Stories

During the “Ceauşescu national-communism” it was called the “Timiş County Museum Complex”, in an attempt to delete from all official names the historical term of Banat.