Holíčsky zámok

Holíč, Slovakia, Slovakia

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Holíčsky zámok in Holíč, western Slovakia, originated as a wooden water castle first mentioned in 1205, later rebuilt in stone after the 1241 Mongol invasion on a site with Neolithic roots, serving as a border stronghold under nobles like Matúš Čák in the 14th century. Transformed into a Renaissance fortress with bastions and moats against Turkish threats in the 16th-17th centuries under Czobor ownership, it became a Habsburg imperial summer residence after 1736 when acquired by Francis of Lorraine, undergoing grand Baroque redesign by architects Jadot and Hillebrandt into a three-winged palace with nearly 100 rooms. Recognized as a national cultural monument in 1963, it preserves underground passages and historical grandeur amid ongoing preservation efforts.