History of the Batthyány Castle

Zalacsány was first mentioned in 1019. Until the mid 1800s, the settlement was owned by the Csányi family, except for the period of Turkish reign.

This is where László Csány was born in 1790, who was the minister of transport and post in the second independent Hungarian government (led by Bertalan Szemere), later the fully authorised government commissioner of Lajos Kossuth in Transylvania.

The foundations of the castle were laid in 1490, in late Gothic style. The building came to be owned by the Batthyánys in the mid 1800s. The family expanded the complex and renovated it in a Baroque style. The present building took its current form in 1913, when it was rebuilt by Pál Batthyány, the ealdorman of Zala County and his wife Karolina Inkei.

Fotó: Darabanth Aukciósház

Similarly to a number of other chateaus, the Batthyány Castle also functioned as a foster home after 1945, which had a lasting effect on the condition of internal walls and furniture. The building was saved from complete destruction by the renovation works started in 1997, which came to an end in 2000. Today, the castle awaits its guests in a refurbished form, following the original style.