“Unearthed: A 400-Year-Old Military Helmet Reveals Secrets of Hungary’s Fiercest Medieval Battles!”
The helmet, which is decorated with copper rosettes and a feather swivel, is known as a cabasset. These conical helmets were often used across Europe between 1550 and 1700. Now, this artifact is giving researchers a chance to paint an eye-opening picture of the brutal reality of the Fifteen Years’ War in Hungary.
The Strategic Importance Of Visegrád Citadel During The Fifteen Years’ War
In 1591, the Fifteen Years’ War broke out between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. The two powers had fought against each other for years. However, disagreements over land ownership in Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia led to a brutal conflict that resulted in heavy losses for both sides.
Roughly 50 years prior, Ottoman forces had laid siege to Visegrád and left the citadel in ruins. During the Fifteen Years’ War, Habsburg forces attempted to reclaim the fortress, but the Ottomans fought back, leading to many causalities and heavy damage to the castle.
Nemzeti Régészeti Intézet/FacebookA 1595 map of the town of Visegrád and the Citadel.
While the conflict came to an end with a peace treaty in 1606, the damage inflicted on Visegrád and the rest of Hungary was immeasurable. For centuries, the castle sat abandoned.
Then, in the 2000s, programs to reinvigorate the town of Visegrád and its medieval castle were created. The most recent excavation that uncovered the military helmet is part of the Visegrád Renaissance Development Program, an effort to promote the town’s cultural and historical heritage.
