Széphalom

Széphalom is a former independent village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. It is now part of Sátoraljaújhely. Its population in 2024 was 448.

 Location 
It is located about 4 kilometres north of the centre of Sátoraljaújhely, right next to the Hungarian-Slovakian border.

The neighbouring settlements are: to the north Alsóregmec, to the northwest Mikóháza, and to the southwest Rudabányácska, which today also belongs to Sátoraljaújhely. On the other side of the border, the nearest settlement is Malá Tŕňa.

 History 
The village was first mentioned in 1440 as Kysbanya, meaning "small mine." It was founded by miners who were digging for gold and silver in the area at that time. The village became famous mostly because of one of its former residents, Ferenc Kazinczy, a well-known Hungarian poet and writer. He renamed the village, then called Kisbánya or Kisbányácska, to Széphalom, which means "beautiful hill." In 1886, the village officially took this name. 

In 1794, Kazinczy bought land here, but that same year, he was sent to prison because of his role in the Hungarian Jacobin movement. He could only finish building his home after his release, and in 1806, he moved in with his wife, Sophie Török. 

After the Treaty of Trianon, the village ended up near the edge of the country. The new border, the Ronyva stream, ran close to the village, cutting off the Hegyköz region from the railway that had previously connected it to the rest of the country.

 Notes 

Category:Settlements in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Category:Villages in Hungary