Čachtice Castle (Čachtický hrad)

Čachtice Castle

 

 

 

Location: 15 km (9 mi) South of Beckov   Map

Tel. (033) 558 6194

Official site

 

Description of Čachtice Castle

Ruins of medieval Čachtice Castle lie 15 km (9 mi) South of Beckov in a village of Čachtice in Slovakia.  Čachtice Castle was constructed in the middle of the 13th century by Kazimir to defend the pass into Moravia. The original architecture of the citadel was Romanesque, but in the 15th and 16th century it was increased and reconstructed in a Gothic style. In the 17th century it lost must of its military importance and it was transformed into Renaissance residence in the 17th century. It was finally captured and destroyed in 1708 by the rebels of Ferenc II Rákoci.

Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed

Despite the ruinous condition of the former mighty citadel it is one of the most famous castles in Slovakia. It was home and later prison to one of the worst serial killers in human history. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was convicted for murder of over 80 people, but witnesses claimed that the actual number was more about 650 people. She is occasionally called Countess Dracula as a comparison to Count Vlad Dracula the Impaler.

 

Countess Elizabeth was born on 7th August 1560 in Ecsed. When she was 15 she married Count Ferencz Nadasdy thus becoming a wife of a powerful knight who apparently was away for much of their life together preferring fight the Turks than the company of his wife. Needless to say she had plenty of free time on her hands. While some wives prefer knitting, other find lovers, this countess preferred killing people for her past time. Poor victims were mostly young girls and woman who were invited to the castle under pretext of good work positions. Some were abducted by the servants of the Countess. While in castle they were kept in the cellar until called upon. Countess Elizabeth used all types of torture known. Some say she even bathed in blood of virgins in hopes she will remain young and attractive. The bodies of unfortunate victims were buried on the castle's grounds and its vicinity. The Tigress of Csejte killed people for over quarter of the century.

 

In 1610 she was finally arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in Cachtice Castle. She died on August 21st 1614. Although initially she was buried in a church of Csejte the villagers forced the officials to mover her remains elsewhere. She was finally transported to her birth town of Ecsed to a Báthory family crypt.