The renovation of Regéc Castle is continuing, according to MTI. Levente Magyar, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, pointed out during his visit to Regéc Castle on 14 March that,
It is important that the country retains the capacity to ensure that major projects, such as the reconstruction of Regéc Castle, can continue in the future.
Every Hungarian town and village and every historical site must be given its rightful place on the map of Hungarian tourism and the politics of remembrance, he emphasised.
The State Secretary explained that some of the investments are being carried out under a Hungarian-Slovak cross-border programme, which is supported by the European Union and overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He added that, within the framework of the programme, particular attention has always been paid to ensuring that historical sites such as Regéc Castle receive the necessary attention and financial resources. The government intends to continue the development work, which has been ongoing for more than a decade, in the coming years, he said.
Levente Magyar emphasised that the Zemplén region and the Rákóczi heritage are of particular importance to the government, which is why they will continue to strive to secure funding to ensure that development projects continue.
Ilona Zrínyi also prayed in this chapel
Ferenc Bakos, the independent mayor of Regéc, said that the castle is set to undergo another major development. He recalled that work to save and develop the castle began in 1999, and since then several major projects have been completed: in 2015, the old tower was rebuilt, a visitor centre was established in the town, and a reception area was created at the castle entrance. He added that the Renaissance palace was built between 2020 and 2021 as part of a major development project.
The mayor announced that the next project will be the reconstruction of the castle chapel, which will be carried out under the Interreg cross-border programme.
The restoration is not only important from a heritage perspective, but also has historical significance, as tradition has it that Ilona Zrínyi, amongst others, prayed in this chapel.
Ferenc Bakos added that the reconstruction of the chapel is expected to be completed by the second half of the year. However, the development of Regéc Castle does not end there, as further work is still to be carried out on the site.
A castle that has been completely renovated on the outside
Levente Magyar announced in Abaújszántó-Cekeháza that the renovation of the Patay Castle will continue. He recalled that the reconstruction of the historic building began five years ago with the support of the Ministry of Culture. When work began, the castle was in an extremely poor state; the roof had partially collapsed, and trees had grown through it in several places.
The State Secretary explained that in recent years, partly with the support of the Ministry and partly using funds from the EU’s cross-border programme for the Hungarian-Slovak border, the condition of the building has been stabilised; it has been fitted with a new roof and is expected to be completely refurbished on the outside within a few months.
He emphasised that the project is also important because it is being implemented in a region rich in historical monuments, many of which have fallen into disrepair in recent decades. As he explained, the renovation of several historic buildings is currently underway in the region as part of a comprehensive development programme extending from the Slovak border.
