Original scientific paper
The Great Palace of Veliki Tabor - Results of Research and the Problem of Its Use
Drago Miletić
; Restauratorski zavod Hrvatske
Abstract
The castle and great hall of Veliki Tabor are an important part of the Renaissance arhcitectural heritage of Continental Croatia. In 1502 King Ivan Corvinus granted land in Croatian Zagorje to his general Pavle Ratkaj, in gratitude for important services. The estate was divided between Pavle and his brother Benedict (castellan of the royal castle of Višegrad in 1511), who built Veliki Tabor which historical sources first mentioned in 1513. The castle was built on the elongated top of a gently slanting hill 333 metres high. In its centre is a pentagonal great hall built between 1502 and 1507, surrounded by a thick wall reinforced with four strong asymmetrically distributed towers, which were built shortly after the great hall. This was a time of great danger because of constant Turkish incursions and their conquest of much of Continental Croatia. For this reason the entire elongated top of the hill was surrounded with an outer curtain wall, and the lowest position which accesses the castle centre was reinforced with a pentagonal bastion.
The author reports about the results of research into the pentagonal great hall. Originally it had three levels. Red and gray squares were painted on the edges of the facades, the cornice had painted red and gray triangles, and the corners on the outer side of the bay window had painted red, gray and white rhombi. The vaulted ground floor had an economic use while the first and second floor were residential. Privies were discovered on the first and second floor in the thickness of the north-western wall. The position of the original staircase was discovered, and a window with stone bars which was built up very early for reasons of static safety. The parts of stone frames of two more original windows, later reconstructed, were discovered in the north wall, traces of original paving, corner kitchen fireplaces, openings between the dining hall and kitchen, and so on. The top story was added in 1537, which is confirmed by the year painted on the facade beside the large semicircular opening built for a granary. This is indicated by the size of the opening and its positio at floor level, other characteristics of its original parts, and the discovery of large amounts of grains in the cracks between the outer wall and inside partitions. ln 1550 the large opening for grain was reconstructed, which is confirmed by a ceramic floor tile with the Renaissance portrait of a woman and the carved year. Somewhat later a Renaissance two-light window was built into the second floor. When immediate danger from the Turks stopped the third floor was reconstructed into a residential area, and three rows a close-set pillars were painted on the facades.
In recent years there were ideas about transforming Veliki Tabor and turning it into something completely unsuited to its importance as a cultural monument. Two projects were made before conservationist research. The first project subjected everything to the arrangement of two two-room and eight one-room suites. The second planned for the castle, and some other premises to be used for the needs of state protocol. Both projects are dangerous because they call for considerable internal reconstruction, making new openings, a boiler house, and building in various kinds of installations. There are proposals to place old Zagorje wooden peasant houses intended for rural tourism on the as yet untouched hill slopes - which are at the foot of the monument and make up its composite part. The realization of these projects should certainly be prevented, and a solution found that will maximally protect the original structure and area of Veliki Tabor.
Research gave sufficient data to reconstruct the second, best preserved and most important stage in the development of the great hall. Therefore the presentation of the second developmental stage is suggested, and the arrangement of a museum in the renewed and partly reconstructed areas. The museum in the great hall would display how and where people lived in the 16"' century. One of the difficulties is the lack of original furniture and furnishings, and it has been suggested to exhibit high-quality copies of furniture from that period that is kept in central-European museums, which would be clearly indicated in writing beside the exhibits. Similarly 16 century stoves found in other Croatian castles could be reconstructed and used for heating the rooms (with wood) to avoid introducing dangerous central heating installations. In general all modern installations should be avoided in the great hall. In the rest of Veliki Tabor, the walls and towers that have not yet been researched, should be turned into a museum showing visitors how Croatia was definded trom the Turks in the decisive 16 century.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
138681
URI
Publication date:
15.12.1996.
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