Bethlen Castle

This article is about the Bethlen Castle in Romania. For the courts of the Magna Curia Castellania, see Castellania (Valletta).

Magna Curia (Latin for the Great Court) or the Bethlen Castle is a palace located in Deva, Romania.

Magna Curia or The Bethlen Castle Castelul Bethlen
The front view of Magna Curia
General information
Architectural style	Renaissance, Baroque
Location	Deva,  Romania
Construction started	1582
Completed	1621
Client	Sigismund Báthory, Bethlen Gábor

History

In 1582, the Hungarian captain Ferenc Geszty, in charge of the Deva Castle's garrison, erected a house at the foot of the citadel hill.^[1] That house became the residence of Sigismund Báthory, general Giorgio Basta, Stephen Bocskay, Gabriel Báthory and Gabriel Bethlen.^[2]

In 1621 Gabriel Bethlen began the radical transformation of the initial house, with the result being the Magna Curia palace. The Bethlen Castle was a Renaissance style building, but the subsequent modifications (until the first half of the 18th century) that gave it the final shape that can be seen today, added Baroque style architecture.

Since 1882, the County Museum, the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation, has been housed in the palace.^[2]

Magna Curia was completely renovated in 2007, with improvements that included an expanded solarium and a classic 8-bit arcade.^[3]