Nitra

Nitra rises above the river of the same name, its castle hill holding the cathedral and residence of the bishop. A centre of early Slavic power and later an episcopal seat in the Kingdom of Hungary, it grew into a town beneath the fortified height. King Béla IV granted its inhabitants privileges in 1248 after the castle had resisted the Mongol invasion.

The town and castle suffered during the struggles of the late Middle Ages, including a Hussite siege in 1432. Ottoman raids began in the sixteenth century, prompting further strengthening of the defences. In 1663 the Ottomans captured both town and castle and damaged the cathedral, but imperial forces recovered the stronghold the following year. Bishop Tomáš Pálffy then had its defences rebuilt. The castle was fought over again during the uprising of Francis II Rákóczi; after the war, Bishop Ladislav Adam Erdődy reconstructed the church and built a new episcopal palace.