A Hungarian businessman plans to build a castle to recreate the palace of notorious Attila the Hun in Hungary, aiming to lure more tourists than the Bran Castle in Romania, the so-called “Dracula’s Castle”, that is subject of financial controversies these days, according to the Budapest-based Nepszabadsag newspaper.
But the grandiose project is based on simple fiction, according to Hungarian historians.
The town of Tapioszentmarton not only has a difficult to pronounce name for non-Hungarian speakers. It is also the place where Attila the Hun, the ancient ruler of the Hungarian people who is also known as the “Whip of God”, is thought to be buried. But popular belief is challenged by historians who believe it is nothing more than a legend.
Still, businessman Janos Kocsi, who first invested in the area in the nineties with the acquisition of 1000 hectares of land to breed horses, sticks to this belief. And he continued his businesses by luring tourists to the area, profiting from allegations that the spot is rich in beneficial radiations.
He is now ready to invest no less than 20 million euro to build a castle in the memory of Attila. But, according to the quoted newspaper, “because historic evidence related to where Attila’s castle was situated and how it looked like is poor, architect Tibor Hayde showed readiness to satisfy all the fantasies of his client”.
The future castle will cover some 6,000 square meters and will sport four 24 meter-high towers, a throne room and an armory.
The news comes as “Dracula’s castle” - the Bran Castle near Brasov, central Romania - another legendary spot in this part of the world, has become a source of dispute after the Habsburg family claimed 60 million euro to give it back to local authorities to be used in tourism purposes.
HotNews.ro, Jan 16, 2007
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