Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle

Gyalu, Romania, Romania

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Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle in Gilău (Gyalu), Romania, originated as a 15th-century bishop's residence built around 1439-1542 by János Statileo, one of Transylvania's last medieval Catholic bishops, featuring a Renaissance-style fortress with four corner towers and a regular ground plan atop Roman castrum ruins from the 2nd century. Transformed in 1638-1652 by Prince György Rákóczi I into a luxurious princely residence by demolishing inner medieval structures, adding spacious vaulted rooms, converting gun loops to windows, and creating representative spaces like the "His Majesty's Tower," it became one of Transylvania's grandest centers alongside Alba Iulia before passing to the Bánffy family in 1663. Damaged in a 1707 siege during Rákóczi II's anti-Habsburg uprising and left in ruins until 1838 reconstruction by Denis Bánffy that removed defenses, it later served various uses and now stands restored as a historic monument near Cluj-Napoca.