P23 0.47 P.MARKA ZRINSKI ČAKOVEC

ZRINSKI, ČAKOVEC – medieval burgh and a Renaissance and Baroque fortress with a castle Today's castle in Čakovec contains a medieval Wasserburg, a Renaissance fortress of pentagonal shape with Renaissance and Baroque bastions, a Baroque manor/palace in the center and a park from the 19th century built in the area of a glacis (glacis, clearing). Such a layered architectural unit was the core of the settlement that has been developing as a suburb since the Middle Ages. Today this complex with a park is the center of a contemporary city and the most valuable cultural and historical monument in Međimurje. In the seven-centuries-long history, four families are to be thanked for the castle. It was in the possession of the Croatian noble family Ernušt for 67 years (1473–1541), 124 years in the possession of the Zrinski family (1546–1670), the family of the Czech counts Althan owned it for 71 years (1719–1791) and the Croatian noble family Feštetić for 127 years (1791–1919). After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1919, the history of this noble estate ends. From the mid-19th century up until the middle of the 20th century, the castle was used for various purposes – sugar factory, for housing, as an educational institution. Since 1954 it has been owned by the "Čakovec" Museum of Međimurje. Today this is a renovated historical complex of the fortress and a castle as a museum of the intangible cultural heritage of Međimurje with an in situ depiction of the architectural development from a burgh and a fortress to a castle and a museum. In the late Middle Ages (13th century) a wooden fortification was built at the time of the reign of the Čaka family (Csáka), who gave Čakovec its name. It was mentioned as a fortified palace in 1333, and by the middle of the 16th century, a Wasserburg was built with defensive walls. In the 16th century ban Nikola Zrinski built Bastion fortifications, turning the burgh into a strong lowland Renaissance fortress to defend against the Turks. After the earthquake in 1738, the Counts of Althan restored the fortress, built/upgraded a quadrangular manor/palace with an inner courtyard and built a new tower above the entrance. At the time of the reign of the Feštetić family there were no major construction works because, in the middle of the 19th century, they decided to build a new castle in a nearby Pribislavec.