The bronze statue of Iancu de Hunedoara, restored after a century and a half. What does the knight from Corvinir Castle look like now
For the first time in history, tourists who arrived at Corvinilor Castle in Hunedoara saw up close the statue of Iancu de Hunedoara, erected over a century and a half ago on the highest tower. The bronze monument was returned to the castle after a thorough restoration.
The knight from Corvinir Castle. Photo: Daniel Guță. TRUTH
Hundreds of tourists took pictures with the statue of Iancu de Hunedoara, restored after more than a century and a half since its placement on the Buzdugan Tower, which rises almost 30 meters above the valleys of Zlaști and Cerna in Hunedoara.
Erected in 1873, the bronze statue witnessed the transformations that the medieval settlement went through in the last century and a half: from the series of restorations that followed the fire that consumed the castle in 1854, to the ashes that covered the castle suffocated by the constructions of the steel complex around it during communism, and to the rehabilitations of recent years, with European funds, that restored the splendor of the monument.
The knight from the Corvinir Castle, restored
In the fall of 2025, it was the Knight's statue's turn to be restored. It had reached a state of severe degradation, having been struck by lightning countless times, tilted by storms and blizzards, pierced by bullets fired “in jest” during the days of the 1989 Revolution, by the soldiers of a nearby military post.
The knight, with a height of 2.5 meters and a weight of more than 200 kilograms, put the workers to the test because of its volume, the height of the tower from which it was lowered by pulleys, but also its state of decay.
Due to degradation, during the descent, one of the boots detached from the “body” of the statue. The monument was taken down from the Buzdugan Tower and transported to the workshop where it was to be repaired. Restoring the bronze statue meant cleaning the deposits accumulated over time, removing traces of corrosion, checking the joints and cracked areas, strengthening the weakened elements and restoring the detached or damaged parts. The monument was treated for protection against the elements, and the surface of the bronze was stabilized and protected with special layers, intended to preserve its historical patina and prevent further deterioration.
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The knight from Corvinir Castle, Photo Daniel Guță, THE TRUTH (3) jpg
After more than half a year, “Iancu de Hunedoara” was brought back to the castle, and for a few days he was placed in the courtyard of the historical complex, waiting for his elevation, again, on the tower.
“The knight has returned home, to Hunedoara! After an extensive restoration process, the symbol on the Buzdugan Tower returns to its place after 152 years! In recent months, it has gone through an extensive restoration process, as part of the project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, implemented at Corvinilor Castle by Hunedoara City Hall. On Sunday (May 17, 2026) it will be replaced where it has been for 152 years, on the top of the Buzdugan Tower. Until then, it will be on display at the Corvinor Castle. We remind you that 2026 has been declared the Year of the Hero“, informed the Hunedoara City Hall.
How the Knight got to Mace Tower
The statue that watched over Hunedoara, from the Buzdugan Tower, represents Ioan (Iancu) of Hunedoara, as a knight in full armor. In his right hand he holds a spear, and a metal tablet on which the year 1873 is cut is attached to the hampa (the tail of the spear).
Historical restoration at the Corvinor Castle. The floor of the Hall of Knights, redone after 130 years at the same factory in Hungary
“The idea of placing a knight in armor on the Buzdugan Tower belonged to the architect Ferenc Schultz, who died in 1870, and it was only realized in 1873 by the architect Imre Steindl”informs archaeologist Sorin Tincu, director of the Corvinilor Castle Museum.
The support that supports the statue was restored in 1934, when, following the storm of June 4, it gave way, and the knight leaned so much that it threatened to collapse, and during the restoration works in the 1950s-1960s.
Since 1900, the appearance of the tower has not undergone any changes, only conservation works have been carried out here, which included interventions to strengthen the masonry and repairs to the roof.
Buzdugan tower, restored and returned to tourism
Meanwhile, the Mace Tower has also been restored, which will once again house the Knight's Statue. The tower was built in the second part of the 15th century, and today it is among the most spectacular monuments in the medieval ensemble. During the time of the Huniads, the Buzdugan Tower was, according to some historians, an observation tower and it bore this name after the hemispherical shape that its roof had in the past, changed following the restoration in the 19th century.
“The Buzdugan tower (the painted tower) overlaps part of the wall of the old citadel and is provided with a single level of defense, supported on consoles. The height of 30 meters, as well as the painting composed of rhomboidal decorative motifs placed in a spiral, well preserved on the exterior, make it one of the most interesting constructions in the Hunedoara ensemble”informs the Corvinor Castle Museum.
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The Buzdugan tower was decorated with geometric and floral motifs, but also with elements of military technique and scenes from the life of the city. Before the fire of 1854, which consumed a large part of the castle, the Buzdugan Tower was equipped with a clock mechanism, placed here around 1819. Its roof was raised after the restoration of the Corvinor Castle in the late 19th century, the last major intervention to this tower before the start of the EU-funded project.
On the occasion of the last restorations, started in 2019, the plaster and brick flooring were revised in the tower room and finishing works were carried out. Next came the restoration of the facade and the roof of the tower, one of the difficult operations carried out at the castle, due to its height.
Corvinilor Castle, under construction since 2019
The works at the Buzdugan Tower were included in the project worth 6.6 million euros, co-financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, an investment that targeted, in total, 27 objectives of restoration, conservation and enhancement (the Diet Hall, the Hall of Knights, the access bridges, large portions of the roof, the fountain in the inner courtyard, the Artillery Terrace, etc.).
“The project is, in fact, the second extensive stage of the restoration of the Corvinor Castle, the first project, worth approximately 5 million euros, being carried out in the period 2019-2023, with the support of ADR West, through the Regional Operational Program 2014-2020”informs the Hunedoara City Hall.
The Corvinor Castle has been in the construction site since 2019, but has remained open to tourists. The restoration work has come to an end, with a completion date of summer 2026.
