Water Castle in Hronsek. (source: Marcela Ballová)
Who knows what fate would have awaited the iconic building in a small central Slovak village if, after many years of waiting, it had not been acquired by a person who knows exactly how to deal with dilapidated historical buildings.
The 14th century Water Castle in Hronsek, with a moat around it which was rebuilt into its current form at the end of the 16th century, was in a truly deplorable state in 1990: leaky roofs, broken windows, deep cracks in the walls, a tower that has disappeared for good, and especially the gradually disappearing unique items that can hardly be seen elsewhere.
However, its rich fresco decoration makes the castle unique.
Jewels on the walls
It was the wall paintings with hunting and antique scenes, and the frescoes depicting events on the battlefield, inspired by important painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, that caught the attention of Stanislav Rajnoha, an art historian.
He stepped into the devastated building for the first time 40 years ago.
At that time, he had no idea that the ruin would eventually employ him for more than 20 years, investing €5 million into it.
