Sárospatak
) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, northern Hungary. It lies 70 km northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply Patak, is an important cultural centre.The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in
1201 by
King Emeric. In the
Middle Ages it was an important place due to its proximity to an important trade route leading to
Poland. Its castle, built by
Andrew I, was the birthplace of his daughter
Saint Elizabeth.
Sárospatak was elevated to the rank of
free royal town by
King Sigismund. In
1460, during the reign of
King Matthias it received the right to hold a
market. In
1575 a
plague killed many of the inhabitants.
The
Reformation began spreading into Hungary from this area. The first Protestant
college, one of the most important colleges of Hungary at the time, was founded in Sárospatak in
1531. In the
1650s the famous
Czech educator
Jan Comenius taught here. The college (since
2000 a faculty of the
University of Miskolc) now bears his name.
The owners of the castle of Sárospatak include many important individuals in Hungarian history. In the
16th century it was owned by the Dobó family.
Bálint Balassi, the most important Hungarian poet of the century married Krisztina Dobó at the castle; the bride was the daughter of
István Dobó, who defended the castle of
Eger against the
Ottoman Turks. Later the castle was owned by the
Rákóczi family. The residents of the town took an active part in the revolution against
Habsburg rule led by
Francis II Rákóczi.
Today Sárospatak is a charming historical town and a popular tourist destination.
* Castle (with Renaissance tower)
* Gallery
* The ceiling of one of the small rooms of the castle is decorated by
frescoes of roses. The participants of the
Wesselényi conspiration held their secret meetings in this room. In
Latin the term "sub rosa" means both "under the rose" and "in secret".
* Because of its cultural significance, Sárospatak is sometimes called "Athens of the Bodrog".
* The name of the town means "muddy creek".
*
Official site
