SUKOSD - BETHLEN Castle (Racos, Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania)

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Sükösd-Bethlen Castle is a historic monument located in the central part of the Racoş comune located in the south-eastern part of Transylvania, between Brasov and Sighişoara. The castle, in the form of a square fortress and initialy having only three-chamber, was built between 1594 and 1603 by Sükösd István, who was descended from an old Szekler family. At the beginning of the 17th century, the castle was strengthened at the four corners with circular towers, probably during the time of Sükösd György. After his death, in 1631, the castle was taken over by Budai Péter and after he died (in 1694) the castle passed to the Count Bethlen Samuel (1663-1708). He is the one who will enlarge and strengthen the castle, raising the walls, building bastions and a gate tower. The castle was also defended by a water ditch over which, in front of the reinforced gate with iron grille, was a rabatabil bridge. Despite the fortification look, the castle was primarily designed for the noble family's living, being arranged and decorated in a Renaissance style fashionable in those times in the case of fortified nobility dwellings. As an architectural curiosity was rebuilt, occupying a whole corner tower, the hood over the kitchen. The castle served as a temporary dwelling to the Bethlen family until 1873 when it became the property of Count Teleki Sámuel, a explorer and a man of culture. Since 1903 the castle has been taken over by the local community and, in particular, due to the lack of interest of the communist authorities, being also used as a storage space, the construction degrades. The hostility of history and nature have led to the demolition of a famous Hall of the Knights, of the entire east side (inhabited by the noble families) and of a tower. In recent years, the castle has been partially renovated. Next to Racos is the famous nature reserve Racos Geological Complex, which has three very interesting objectives: Basalt Columns (nature monument from 1960), Emerald Lake (formed in a former basalt quarry) and a lunar landscape in a former basalt scoria quarry.