How did Spiš Castle look in its heyday?

Basic information about Spiš Castle

• Location: Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia
• Year built: 12th century
• History: Occupying more than four hectares of land, Spis is one of the largest castle compounds in Central Europe. Construction of the medieval castle dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. The oldest written reference to the castle is from 1120. At the beginning it was a boundary fort placed at the northern frontier of an early feudal Old Hungarian state. Afterwards, it became the seat of the head of the Spiš region for many centuries. In the second half of the 15th century the reconstruction of the castle fell upon its new owner Štefan Zápoľský, whose intention was to remake it into a stately aristocratic residence. In 1780 the castle compound was destroyed by fire and it gradually fell into ruins. The total decay of the castle was prevented only through the intervention of conservationists who in 1970 got down to the difficult job of preserving the walls and palaces threatened by the instability of its rocky foundation. The films Dragon Heart directed by Rob Cohen (1992) and the Last Legion (2007) starring Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley were shot at Spiš Castle.
• Architectural features: ● Romanesque style ● Built on dolomite rock, overlooking a city ● Spiš Castle towers on top of a limestone cliff 634 meters above sea level ● The castle hill was encircled by a huge walled settlement