Address

1 Huniade Square

History, names and historical functions

1307 - 1315 (or 1314) Charles Robert of Anjou, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama, and since 1308 king of Hungary, built “with Italian craftsmen” (according to historical tradition) a brick castle, located largely in the courtyard of today’s building.

1315 - 1323 (1316 - 1318, or 1325 according to other sources) – the castle served as a royal residence.

It later served as Timiş county head house.

1407 - 1424 (or 1404 to 1426) – rebuilt in time of county head Pippo Spano of Ozora (Filippo Buondelmonti degli Scolari, 1369 -1426).

1443 – damages from an earthquake.

1443 - 1447 Ioan de Hunedoara takes up residence in Timişoara and restores the castle (architect Paolo Santino da Duccio?).

1551 - 1552 fortification works carried out by Italian military architects. The plane outline of the bastions on the southeast and southwest corners of the building dates back then.

Bombed during the siege of 1551 and 1552.

After 1552 the castle was rebuilt, and it served as the pasha’s and administrative and military apparatus residence of the Eyalet of Timişoara (an Eyalet was the largest administrative unit in the Ottoman Empire. The term “pashalik” used in Romanian does not exist in Turkish).

1716 – bombed during the siege.

1727 – reconstruction works. Transformed into an arsenal and artillery barracks.

1849 – bombed during the siege.

1856 – the rebuilding finished, acquiring its current form.

1919 - 1947 the “Banat Barracks” of 7 Pioneer Regiment and 6 Heavy Artillery Regiment.

From 1948 – today location of the Banat Museum.

Archaeological Research

1902 -1902, 1980, from 2007 to date.

Architectural style

Romantic style, the neo-Gothic movement (ogival arches), with some Roman elements (arches in full center).

Unique elements

It is the “oldest” building in Timişoara. In the courtyard were found building foundations and the donjon tower were found, probably dating from 1307 to 1314.

It contains numerous collections, which are currently largely under reorganization.

Legends, stories

See chapter Personalities, Charles Robert of Anjou.

During the “Ceauşescu national-communism” it was called the “Timiş County Museum Complex”, in an attempt to delete the historical term of Banat from all official names.

The Banat Museum hosts here all its three sections: History, Archeology and Natural Sciences.

Accessibility

As a public institution open for visitors, tourists have access to the castle yard and inside it (Tuesday to Sunday, between 10 and 16 o’clock).

The most interesting interiors are those on the ground floor (in 2009, partly in renovation due to the restoration of the building foundations), another interesting element being the marble that on some portions contains numerous residues of fossil mollusks (ammonites, belemnites) – one of these sectors is in the Department of Natural Sciences.

Even if the interiors on the upper floors are not themselves spectacular, some of the exhibits are interesting:

• At the Department of Natural Sciences: Dr. F. König butterflies collection, stuffed birds collection from renowned ornithologist Dionsie Linţia (both collections are the largest of their kind in Romania)

At the Archeology department: the Parţa sanctuary. It is the only Neolithic sanctuary in Romania; it was discovered a few kilometers southwest of Timişoara.