Magna Curia (The Bethlen Castle)

Deva, Romania, Romania

---

Magna Curia, also known as Bethlen Castle, in Deva, Romania, began as a Renaissance house constructed in 1582 at the foot of Deva Fortress by Hungarian captain Ferenc Geszty, serving as a residence for key Transylvanian rulers including Sigismund Báthory, Giorgio Basta, Stephen Bocskay, and Gabriel Báthory. In 1621, Prince Gabriel Bethlen transformed it into a grand palace called Magna Curia with arcaded courtyards and ornate interiors blending Renaissance and later Baroque elements through 18th-century expansions by owners like János Haller. Today, this historic monument houses the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, preserving artifacts from the region's ancient Dacian heritage and medieval princely era.