Corvin Castle Corvin Castle , also known as Corvins ' Castle , Hunyad Castle or Hunedoara Castle ( Romanian : " Castelul Huniazilor " or " Castelul Corvinilor " , Hungarian : " Vajdahunyad vára " ) , is a Gothic - Renaissance castle in Hunedoara , in the region of Transylvania , Romania . History . Corvin Castle was laid out in 1446 , when construction began at the orders of John Hunyadi ( , ) who wanted to transform the former keep built by Charles I of Hungary . The castle was originally given to John Hunyadi ' s father , Voyk ( Vajk ) , by Sigismund , king of Hungary , as severance in 1409 . It was also in 1446 when John Hunyadi was elected as the regent - governor of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Diet . It was built mainly in Gothic style , but has Renaissance architectural elements . It features tall and strong defence towers , an interior yard and a drawbridge . Built over the site of an older fortification and on a rock above the small Zlaști River , the castle is a large and imposing building with tall and diversely coloured roofs , towers and myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings . The first step was building a double wall for fortification purposes . The walls were flanked by rectangular or circular towers , an architectural innovation to the period ' s Transylvanian architecture . Some of the towers ( the Capistrano Tower , the Deserted Tower and the Drummers ' Tower ) were used as a prison . The Buzdugan Tower ( name after a type of weapon ) was solely built for defence purposes and it had its exterior decorated with geometric motifs . The rectangular shaped towers had large openings to accommodate larger weapons . The castle has 3 large areas : the Knight ' s Hall , the Diet Hall and the circular stairway . The halls are rectangular in shape and are decorated with marble . The Diet Hall was used for ceremonies or formal receptions whilst the Knight ' s Hall was used for feasts . In 1456 , John Hunyadi died and work on the castle has stagnated . Starting with 1458 , new commissions were being undergone to construct the Matia Wing of the castle . In 1480 , work has completely stopped on the castle and it was recognised as being one of the biggest and most impressive buildings in Western Europe . The 16th century did not bring any improvements to the castle , but during the 17th century new additions have been made , for aesthetic and military purposes . Aesthetically , the new Large Palace has been built facing the town . A two level building , it hosted living chamber and a large living area . For military purposes , two new towers were constructed : the White Tower and the Artillery Tower . Also , the external yard was added , used for administration and storage . The current castle is the result of a fanciful restoration campaign undertaken after a disastrous fire and many decades of total neglect . It has been noted that modern " architects projected to it their own wistful interpretations of how a great Gothic castle should look " . Description . As one of the most important properties of John Hunyadi , the castle was transformed during his reign . It became a sumptuous home , not only a strategically enforced point . With the passing of the years , the masters of the castle had modified its look , adding towers , halls and guest rooms . The gallery and the keep - the last defense tower ( called " Neboisa " which means " Not afraid " in Serbian language ) , which remained unchanged from John Hunyadi ' s time , and the Capistrano Tower ( named after the saint , Franciscan monk from the Battle of Belgrade in 1456 ) are some of the most significant parts of the construction . Other significant parts of the building are the Knights ' Hall ( a great reception hall ) , the Club Tower , the White bastion , which served as a food storage room , and the Diet Hall , on whose walls medallions are painted ( among them there are the portraits of Matei Basarab , ruler from Wallachia , and Vasile Lupu , ruler of Moldavia ) . In the wing of the castle called the Mantle , a painting can be seen which portrays the legend of the raven from which the name of the descendants of John Hunyadi , Corvinus came . Legends . Tourists are told that it was the place where Vlad III of Wallachia ( commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ) was held prisoner by John Hunyadi , Hungary ' s military leader and regent during the King ' s minority , for 7 years after Vlad was deposed in 1462 . Later , Vlad III entered a political alliance with John Hunyadi , although the latter was responsible for the execution of his father , Vlad II Dracul . Because of these links , the Hunedora Castle is sometimes mentioned as a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker ' s Castle Dracula . In fact , Stoker neither knew about Vlad ' s alliance with Hunyadi , nor about Hunyadi ' s castle . Instead , Stoker ' s own handwritten research notes confirm that the novelist imagined the Castle Dracula to be situated on an empty top in the Transylvanian Călimani Mountains near the former border with Moldavia . In the castle yard , near the 15th - century chapel , there is a well 30 meters deep . According to the legend , this fountain was dug by twelve Turkish prisoners to whom liberty was promised if they reached water . After 15 years they completed the well , but their captors did not keep their promise . It is said that the inscription on a wall of the well means " you have water , but not soul " . Specialists , however , have translated the inscription as " he who wrote this inscription is Hasan , who lives as slave of the giaour s , in the fortress near the church " . In February 2007 , Corvin Castle played host to the British paranormal television program " Most Haunted Live ! " for a three - night live investigation into the spirits reported to be haunting the castle . Results were inconclusive .