Kemény Castle in Brâncovenești: a Renaissance castle of Roman stones
Kemény Castle (Castelul Kemény) stands in Brâncovenești, Mureș County, Romania, on the right bank of the Mureș at the foot of the Călimani Mountains. One of the finest examples of Hungarian Renaissance architecture in Transylvania, it has a square plan with corner towers, a past tied to Roman ruins and writers, and it lies on the Via Transilvanica trail.
This castle was raised from the stones of a Roman fort, and in 1926 it became the summer meeting place of the Hungarian writers of the Erdélyi Helikon.
The history of Kemény Castle
The hill above the Mureș was already fortified in Roman times. A small Roman fort, known from inscribed stones as Ala Nova Illiricorum, stood close to the present castle, and a few of its remains can still be seen in the former orchard. In the early 13th century, under the Kingdom of Hungary, a fortress with moats was built from the Roman stones. The earliest document, from 1228, calls it castrum Wecheu, when King Andrew II took it from Simon Kacsics and gave it to Denis Tomaj. It is thought to have been destroyed by the great Mongol invasion of 1242.
The Bánffy de Losoncz family inherited the estate and held it for about a century and a half, until they took part in the rebellion against King Matthias in 1467 and lost it. After that the castle passed through many hands: John Ongor, Michael Szobi, Stephen Werbőczy, Ferenc Kendi, and then István Bocskai, who received it from his nephew Sigismund Báthory. Around 1612 it belonged to István Wesselényi, and later it was held by Gabriel Bethlen, Peter Bethlen and George I Rákóczi. At that time the castle had seven villages attached to it.
Its present look was shaped mainly in the 16th century, when works in 1537 and 1555 gave it its Renaissance form; several window frames survive from that period. On 28 November 1648, George II Rákóczi donated the castle with five villages to John Kemény and his descendants, and the Kemény family kept it for three hundred years. A restoration in 1816, led by István Möller for Count Miklós Kemény, brought irreversible changes, including a large new bastion.
In the 20th century the castle became a literary landmark. From the summer of 1926, writers of the Erdélyi Helikon met here every year, invited by Count János Kemény; among those who took part were Lajos Áprily, Áron Tamási, Sándor Reményik and Albert Wass. At the end of World War II the local population ransacked the building. After nationalisation it served as a reformatory and later as a home for women and children with disabilities. On 8 November 2014 the castle opened to visitors, and the property returned to the Kemény family after about 70 years.
Curiosities about Kemény Castle
- The castle was built using the remains of a Roman fortification, whose inscribed stones name it Ala Nova Illiricorum. Its few remnants lie in the former orchard, not under the castle itself.
- The first written mention is a royal charter of 1228, which calls the place castrum Wecheu.
- From 1926 the writers of the Erdélyi Helikon held annual meetings in the castle.
- The Hungarian name of the castle is Marosvécsi Kemény-kastély, and the village itself is known in Hungarian as Marosvécs.
- The entrance is on the north side, over a bridge across the outer ditch, and above it is a picturesque stone balcony on consoles.
- The castle belonged to the Kemény family for three hundred years from 1648, and it came back to the family after a period of about 70 years.
Tours near Kemény Castle in Brâncovenești
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Kemény Castle: what to see
- Look at the square plan with its four corner towers, two larger and two smaller, and at the Renaissance window frames that survive in the walls.
- The entrance is on the north side across a small bridge over the moat. Above the gate, a stone balcony on consoles is a notable detail, repeated on the floors of the towers.
- In the former orchard next to the castle, a few remnants of the Roman fort can be seen.
- The castle opened to visitors in November 2014. The sources do not describe the interiors, so check the current opening hours and what can be visited before you go.
- The village is on the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail. The nearest other place on this site is the Fortress Church of Târgu Mureș, about 38 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Kemény Castle in Brâncovenești is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Kemény Castle in Brâncovenești
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Questions
Where is Kemény Castle?
It is in Brâncovenești, Mureș County, on the right bank of the Mureș at the foot of the Călimani Mountains, near the road from Reghin to Toplița.
How old is Kemény Castle?
A fortress stood here by 1228, when a royal charter first mentions it. The castle took its Renaissance form in the 16th century and was restored in 1816.
Why is Kemény Castle famous?
It is one of the finest examples of Hungarian Renaissance architecture in Transylvania, and from 1926 it hosted the annual meetings of the Erdélyi Helikon writers.
Was Kemény Castle built on a Roman fort?
It was built using stones from a Roman fortification, but the Roman fort stood not on the exact spot of the castle but in the adjoining orchard.
Can you visit Kemény Castle?
Yes. It opened to visitors on 8 November 2014. Check the current opening hours before you go.
What else is near Kemény Castle?
The Via Transilvanica trail passes through the village, and the Fortress Church of Târgu Mureș is about 38 km away.
Also nearby
Fortress Church, Târgu Mureș
Târgu Mureș · late Gothic church inside the citadel
38 km away
Nicula Monastery
Cluj · Marian pilgrimage site and glass-icon school
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Clock Tower of Sighișoara
Sighișoara · gate tower with a figure clock and a museum
71 km away
Bonțida Bánffy Castle
Bonțida · Baroque “Versailles of Transylvania”
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