The castle, which has not been renovated since the 60s, has fallen into a serious state of disrepair. The local council even transferred the ownership of the monument to the State Treasury because it lacked the resources to keep it up. But the local council recently saw a chance to use funding available under the EU-supported Regional Operative Programme to rescue the castle and requested the state return the ownership rights in December.
The renovation will cost between HUF 200 million and HUF 1 billion, of which EU funding could cover up to 85pc, said Németh. HUF 200 million would cover a basic renovation, but a full reconstruction would require HUF 1 billion. HUF 500-600 million would be enough for a partial renovation of the castle, he said.
Reconstruction plans have already been drawn up by historians, architects and other experts over the past several years.
If the local council's application for funding is successful, archaeological digs at the site, required before any renovation can begin, would start in 2009.
After its renovation, the castle could provide a venue for summer performances as well as exhibitions and conferences. It could also be turned into an upscale hotel for tourists, Németh said.
A wooden fortification at the site is recorded as early as the 13th century, but it was destroyed in the 1400s. King Matthias mandated László Egervári to rebuild the castle at the end of the 15th century. In the 16th century Krstóf Nádasdy built bastions at the structure's four corners, thus completing the closed, Renaissance-style castle.
In the 18th century, Zsigmond Széchenyi renovated the castle, turning the courtyard into a multi-level hall and converting the eastern wing into a chapel.
The castle fell into a state of disrepair in the 19th century and was not listed until the 1960s.
Source: Múlt-kor / Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
