Zvolen Castle

Zvolen Castle (Slovak: Zvolenský zámok or incorrectly Zvolenský hrad, Hungarian: Zólyomi vár) is a medieval castle located on a hill near the center of Zvolen, in central Slovakia.

Its difficult access had consequence in relocation of the seat to the new-built Zvolen castle, which was ordered by Louis I the Great as a hunting residence.

The future queen regnant Mary of Anjou and emperor Sigismund celebrated their wedding there in 1385.

Zvolen Castle hosts a regional branch of the Slovak National Gallery with an exposition of old European masters, including works by P. P. Rubens, Paolo Veronese, and William Hogarth.

The castle was nominated as a National culture monument for its historic, art and architecture values and it was reconstructed in the 1960s.

Zvolen Castle was strongly inspired by Italian castles of the fourteenth century