Lónyai Castle, Medieșu Aurit
  • National Monument Number:
  • SM-II-a-A-05332
  • Address:
  • Medieșu Aurit, Main street nr. 157 A
  • Dated to:

At the end of the Second World War, the castle was burned down by the German troops withdrawing from the area. Since then, the castle has been deteriorating, with only a few small restoration works.

In 1278, on the site of the Lónyai Castle of Medieșu Aurit, there was already a fortress belonging to András of the Kaplony family. He upset King László IV, who took his fortress and donated it to the Transylvanian voivode Móricz Miklós. The most famous family member was Meggyesi Simon, the ban of Dalmatia, who in 1415, lost half of the estate, after a trial with the Bathory family. Nevertheless, between the years of 1429-1492 the fortress remained in the Meggyesi family, then, by marriage. came into the posession of the Morócz family. In 1493, Morócz István dies and having no heirs, the fortress is occupied by Báthory István and András. For a century, the Báthory family ruled the fortress. The last Báthory, András having no sons, the fortress is inherited by his daughter, and in 1630 by her son, Lónyay Zsigmond. Lonyai fortified the fortress with ditches, bastions and mobile bridges. In 1643, the fortress was inherited by Lónyay Anna, the wife of the prince Kemény János. In 1669, at her instigation, the local landlords succeeded in banishing the German patrols from Satu Mare. As a result, Lónyai Anna was accused of lack of loyalty, her property was confiscated, and the fortress was destroyed. What was left of the fortress was destroyed by the fire of 1707. The Lonyai domain was mortgaged, and in 1740 the heir Baron, Wesselényi Ferencz, redeemed it, and instead of the fortress, he constructed a castle. From the Wesselényi family, the castle has been inherited by the Bethlen and Teleki families.

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