Built in a
Renaissance-
Gothic style and constructed over the site of an older fortification on a rock above the smaller
Zlaști River, the castle is a large and imposing structure with tall towers, bastions, an inner courtyard, diversely coloured roofs, and myriad windows and balconies adorned with stone carvings. The castle also features a double wall for enhanced fortification and is flanked by both rectangular and circular towers, an architectural innovation for the period's Transylvanian architecture. Some of the towers (the Capistrano Tower, the Deserted Tower, and the Drummers' Tower) were used as prisons. The Buzdugan Tower (named after a type of
mace) was solely built for defensive purposes, and it had its exterior decorated with geometric motifs. The rectangular towers have large openings to accommodate larger weapons. As one of the most important properties of John Hunyadi, the castle was transformed during his reign. It became a sumptuous home, not only a strategically enforced point. With the passing of the years, the masters of the castle had modified its look, adding towers, halls, and guest rooms. The gallery and the
keep - the last defense tower (called "Neboisa" which means "Don't be afraid" in
Serbo-Croatian), which remained unchanged from John Hunyadi's time, and the
Capistrano Tower (named after the saint, Franciscan friar from the
Battle of Belgrade in 1456) are some of the most significant parts of the construction. Other significant parts of the building are the Knights' Hall (a great reception hall), the Club Tower, the White bastion, which served as a food storage room, and the Diet Hall, on whose walls medallions are painted (among them there are portraits of
Matei Basarab, rulers from
Wallachia, and
Vasile Lupu, ruler of
Moldavia). In the wing of the castle called the Mantle, a painting can be seen which portrays the legend of the
raven from which the name of the descendants of John Hunyadi, Corvinus came. == Legacy ==