A historical survey of the Corunca Castle, Romania, based on the military survey maps and present-day measurements

Corunca is situated at 4.5 km SE from Târgu-Mureș, near the Salt Stream, the Bozeni Stream, and the Vațman Stream. Its area is inhabited from ancient times. Both prehistoric and Roman findings were reported to have been found within the village boundaries. Its neighbouring medieval village, Sárvári, perished in the 16^th century, while Kisernye was devastated by Turkish troops in 1661. The settlement was first recorded in 1332 as Korunka. The Reformed Church was built between 1769 and 1778, while its spire dates from 1793. The earlier church was surrended by high protective walls, which were demolished in 1769.

The extremely ruinous castle with its neoclassical façade and a couple of neighbouring farm buildings appear on the left side of the European route E60 travelling from Târgu-Mureș to Sighișoara. Today, this is a barren place, although once it was surrounded by a grove the size of 120 cadastral acres [2].

During the reign of John Sigismund Zápolya, Prince of Transylvania and ruler of a part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the village belonged to Thomas Mihályfy. The castle was ravaged in 1562 by the revolted Szeklers. After the fall of the Mihályfy family, the Chancellor of Transylvania, Farkas Kovacsóczi owned the estate, which later came down to the Tholdalagi family. The Tholdalagi family belongs to one of the great magnate families of Transylvania, with nicknames deriving from Ercea and Iclod, but originating from Toldal, Mureș County, Romania – their ancient demesne from the 16^th century. Mihály I. Tholdalagi (1580–1673), one of the wisest diplomats in the Principality, reshaped the original building to an impressive castle in the 1630s, whose size and adjoining buildings are described in the Inventory dating from 1680. The first members of the Tholdalagi family came to Transylvania from Hungary. According to the family traditions, and also mentioned in their Certificate of Count, their ancestor is the extinguished Alaghi family member, András, who obtained Toldalag settlement together with its neighbouring Ercse in 1453; hence the nickname “Ercsei”. Thus, Mihály Tholdalagi’s parents were Balázs from Gáldtő and Borbála Bessenyei [1].