Solomon Tower, Visegrád

The traditional name Solomon Tower or Solomon's Tower refers to the residential tower of the lower castle of Visegrád built in the 13th century.

Description

The tower’s main entrance opened in the 13th century on the first floor, from which a stairwell built into the southern corner led to the upper floor. The rooms on that floor were heated by columned fireplaces, and the lighting was provided by richly divided twin windows. On the sixth level was the gunport, a roof terrace surrounded by paired walls—from there one could step onto the external wooden balcony walkway. A shadow tower was also attached to the western side of the residential tower.

Origin of the name

The residential tower was named Solomon Tower after the 11th‑century Hungarian king Solomon. According to Albert Kenessey's 1867 report: “The royal castle, which is now completely ruined, stood on the hilltop and was secured by a lower and an upper fort, the latter of which included the still‑standing Solomon Tower, which took its name from Solomon, who, after being captured at the death of Ladislaus (1082), spent a year and a half in captivity here.”

History

The defensive rampart walls protecting the fortress, as well as the gates that guarded the former royal road and the large residential tower, were erected in the middle of the 13th century. The lower castle formed a unified defensive system with the fortress. During the reign of King Charles I of Hungary the hexagonal residential tower was rebuilt into a royal lodging. At that time the inner castle wall arc was constructed around the tower. After 1490, when the fortress came under the crown guard, the lower castle remained under the supervision of the royal castellan, and the residential tower was then used as a warehouse. In 1540 the southern corner of the residential tower was destroyed by the troops of Ferdinand I. After the Turkish conquest, the Turkish settlement moved into the walls of the lower castle.

Excavation

The excavation of the abandoned ruin after the Turkish wars was initiated by József Viktorin in 1871 and begun by Imre Henszlmann. The restoration of the residential tower was designed by Frigyes Schulek. Due to lack of funds the work was soon halted and only resumed in the 1920s.

In Gusztáv Keleti's 1867 drawing the "Salamon Tower in Visegrád" can still be seen in a ruined state.

The tower obtained its present form during a modernist restoration carried out between 1959 and 1964 according to the plans of János Sedlmayr. Today in the residential tower the exhibitions of the Matthias King Museum of the Hungarian National Museum can be seen, the Gothic decorative well of the Visegrád royal palace, Matthias King's Visegrád sculptural workshop and the history of Visegrád.

2018–2025

According to an article on Mandiner.hu, by 2018 the Salamon Tower had become life‑threatening, but the maintainer has no money for renovation.

Thanks to the self‑sacrificing work of a local entrepreneur the danger to life was averted and although according to the original plans the tower would have been closed until the end of 2019, there was hope that it would be visitable during 2019. The tower reopened its doors to visitors on 1 May 2026.