Erdődy Castle in Kerestinec reopened to the public

The newly renovated Erdődy Castle in Kerestinec, Sveta Nedelja, was officially re-opened on Monday. The cultural landmark now houses a music school, exhibition spaces, and a modern library, with the goal of familiarizing the public with the rich history of the castle, the Erdődy family, and Kerestinec.

Speaking at Monday’s formal opening ceremony Sveta Nedelja Mayor Dario Zurovec emphasized the castle’s cultural importance to the region: "This manor is without a doubt the most valuable piece of our region's cultural inheritance. Her value is not only in her architecture and renewed beauty, but first and foremost that for more than four centuries she has borne testimony to life in this region and the people who lived here."

Also on hand at the re-opening was Prime Minister Andrej Plenković who had this to say about the castle’s role in the region: "This historic manor with its deep cultural heritage will, in the future, serve as a place for young people to gather, for cultural events, concerts and performances of all kinds. This will boost Sveta Nedelja's cultural program, but also that of the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, and ultimately represents a massive added value for the City of Sveta Nedelja."

The Erdődy Castle in Kerestinec is a historic Renaissance lowland fortress near Sveta Nedelja, Croatia. Built by the Erdődy noble family in the early 16th century, the site began as a smaller noble manor house. In 1576 Count Petar II Erdődy started expanding the structure into a fortified castle surrounded by a moat.

Later, the castle would successfully defend the region during Ottoman invasions. After the threat of the Ottoman attacks faded, it underwent a Baroque transformation in the 18th century, with the Erdődy family transforming the defensive fort into a comfortable residential palace.

In 1735 a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was added to the southern wing.

In the turbulent 20th Century the castle served as a focal point during the local Kerestinec Revolt in 1936, and by 1941 had been transformed into an Ustaša prison. Later the communist Yugoslav regime would close the site off to the public for decades.

Source: HRT