Drégely Castle belonged to the Archdiocese of Esztergom since 1432. On 1 August 1489, there was a change of captain at the head of the castle: Balázs Szák, from a family of serfs from Szalka (today Salka, Slovakia), who had been in service until then, was replaced by Péter Márkus, a nobleman from Bars County, Beleg, who also led the archbishop's banderry. The equipment of the castle was described in the on-site minutes of the handover of the post:
with eight large metal cannon on legs
with six other smaller bronze cannon with wooden legs
a small cannon without legs (una bombarda piccola) (1)
an arrow rifle
three quintals of good nitrate
a thick rope for the cellar
a full barrel of vinegar (uno vaso pino daceto (=pieno d’aceto)) (2)
(seven barrel skeins?)
a small amount of gunpowder
a silk vestment for the chapel
three rectangular dining tables
four spears for the gatekeepers
a pile of hay
some daily food
all the wheat in the mill
In 1490, probably due to the deteriorating public security after the death of King Matthias I, the castle was provided with additional ammunition, which was sent by István Battyányi, the provisor from Esztergom, and Alfarello Ferracci, the Neapolitan castellan.
From provisor István Battyányi:
a quintal of good gunpowder
13 bearded rifles
a cannon
150 cannonballs
forty arrow- or spearheads
two Hungarian swords
a big shield
From Alfarello Ferracci:
two barrels of gunpowder
a crate arrow or spearhead
200 iron balls
The original record held by: State Archives of Modena
Reference code: Archivio di Stato di Modena, Archivio Estense, Camera marchionale poi ducale, Amministrazione dei principi, registro n. 685, fol. 57
Date of creation: Drégely, 1489
