Oradea Citadel
The founding of the Oradea Citadel has to do with the Hungarian King Ladislau. In 1241 it conqered and set on fire by the tartars, but as a result of the Lyon council, the catholic states decide to rebuild it because of the Tartar threatening. In the 14th century it is built the second medieval citadel having a heptagonal shape, with irregular towers and the gate was protected by 2 massive towers. It was also built an Episcopal palace of which exterior wall was also an interior wall, and on its South-Eastern side there was a second entrance in the citadel.
The citadel is attacked in 1514 by the army of Gheorghe Doja, but its tentative failed because of the intervention of Pál Tomori, leader of the Fagaras citadel. On 24th February 1538 it is signed the document “Oradea Peace” that proclaimed the total separation of Transylvania from Hungary. The citadel is conquered by the army of the principal of Transylvania, leaded by Tamás Varkocs, on the 10th of april 1557. Because of the triumph of the reform in Transylvania, The Captul and Episcopy will be abolished.
During the conflict between curuts and habsburgs, the citadel is attacked under the ruling of Francisc Rákóczi, but with no success. There were made great reparation campaigns and rebuildings in 1725, between 1754 and 1755 and 1775-1777, having as result the canceling of the actual form of the citadel. The great fire from 1836 that devastated Oradea produces significant damages in the citadel and in the buildings that belong to it.
During the revolution from 1848-1849, the garrison from the citadel allies with the people of the Revolution and on 31st of December 1848 the Diet decides the transforming of the citadel into a military basis.
The emperor Francisc Iosif the 1st cancels through a decree the military character of the citadel, but this will continue to work as an auxiliary military objective and benefits of new reparations between 1883 and 1887.
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