Tállya

Tállya is a village in Gönc District of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. Its population in 2024 was 1568.

It is located in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, 45 kilometers east of Miskolc, the county seat. The neighboring settlements are: Abaújszántó to the north, Erdőbénye to the east, Mád to the southeast, Rátka and Szerencs to the south, Monok to the southwest, and Golop to the west.

The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 15th century, it was already mentioned as a town. Its name likely comes from French-speaking immigrants settled in the area after the Mongol invasion. The name derives from the French word “taille” (cutting, clearing), probably referring to the clearing of the hillside’s thickets before planting vineyards. In the Middle Ages, it had a castle, but by the 16th century, only ruins remained; at that time, on the orders of Zsuzsanna Lorántffy, most of the stones were used for construction. During the Rákóczi War of Independence, Tállya, as part of the Rákóczi family’s estate, was a major base for the Kuruc forces. After 1711, the family lost Tállya, and it became the property of the Bretzenhein and later the Sóhalmi families.

In 2022, 91.5% of the population identified as Hungarian, 4.8% as Roma, 0.6% as German, 0.3% as Polish, 0.2% as Ukrainian, 0.2% as Romanian, 0.1% each as Bulgarian, Rusyn, and Slovenian, and 2.2% as belonging to other non-domestic nationalities (8.4% did not declare; due to dual identities, the total may exceed 100%). In terms of religion, 51.2% were Roman Catholic, 12.8% Reformed, 3.1% Greek Catholic, 0.4% other Christian, 0.5% Lutheran, 0.1% Orthodox, 0.1% Jewish, and 4.8% non-denominational (26.3% did not respond).^[1]