From the 14th century through 1944, Bánffy Castle was occupied by members of the aristocratic Bánffy family, whose ranks included the first governor of Transylvania under the Hapsburgs as well as a 19th-century prime minister of Hungary. Throughout the centuries, Bánffy Castle was transformed to reflect the changing tastes of this wealthy and powerful family. (...)
From the 14th century through 1944, Bánffy Castle was occupied by members of the aristocratic Bánffy family, whose ranks included the first governor of Transylvania under the Hapsburgs as well as a 19th-century prime minister of Hungary. Throughout the centuries, Bánffy Castle was transformed to reflect the changing tastes of this wealthy and powerful family. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle acquired a regularized Renaissance facade that was further refined through the mid-18th century when the current Baroque footprint was established. During the first half of the 19th century, Gothic Revival modifications were made and the castle’s grounds were transformed into an English Romantic garden.
In 1944, the castle was burned by retreating German troops in retaliation for pro-Allied efforts on the part of its then-owner Count Miklos Bánffy. After the war, when Romania came under Communist control, it suffered neglect during the agrarian reforms in the region, and quarrying of its materials by locals seeking building materials. Vandals and natural decay further damaged the ruined castle.
