History
The foundation of the Skároš castle is generally dated at the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century and associated with the powerful Aba family. Soon, however, it became the property of the Drugeth family, who supported king Charles I of Hungary in internal struggles, including fights with Abas. In addition to the defensive – residential function, Skároš also guarded the road from Košice through Füzer to Abaújvár. In the fifteenth century, the castle was taken over by members of the post-Hussite movement of bratrzyks, who stayed in it until Matthias Corvinus suppressed the unrest in the 60s of the 15th century. After these events, the castle probably has not been rebuilt and fell into total ruin.
Architecture
The castle was built of stone on a plan similar to the elongated rectangle measuring 55 x 20 meters. It consisted of a residential building measuring 19 x 11 meters and placed next to it, a residential and defense tower with side lengths of 10.5 and 20 meters. This tower is considered to be the oldest element of the castle, connected with Aba family. Fortified walls, approximately 1,5 meters thick, together with the buildingd formed a closed courtyard. The gate may have been located in the western part of the courtyard, but in the 14th or 15th century, on the north side of the tower, the foregate of a trapezoidal shape was added. The castle in the west and north was separated from the rest of the area by a ditch, 17 meters wide and almost 5 meters deep, over which a timber bridge was placed.
Current state
The castle has not survived to the present day, only a few meters long sections of the lower parts of the walls and the castle’s tower are visible. Admission to the forested area of the castle is free.
bibliography:
Bóna M., Plaček M., Encyklopedie slovenských hradů, Praha 2007.
Wasielewski A., Zamki i zamczyska Słowacji, Białystok 2008.