The first mention of the original village of Knesecz is from 1075. The local parish and a stone church provided church administration for 50 surrounding villages. The village originally belonged to the Beňadice abbey, but gradually grew to a nearby estate in Topoľčianky. The older part was called Opatovské Kňažice, later Opatovce, while the new part retained the original name Kňažice. In 1959, Kňažice and Opatovce nad Žitavou merged under the new name Žitavany. It was named after the nearby Zittau river. From 1975 to 2002, the village belonged to Zlaté Moravce as their part of the city, but since the successful referendum in December 2002, Žitavany has again been an independent municipality. Today, the village has almost 2,000 inhabitants. In the past, the village was known for the Vŕšky autocross complex, where the European Autocross Championships took place from 1997 to 2003. The area later declined due to unresolved property relations. The most important monument of the village is the Baroque Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary from the second half of the 18th century, which gradually underwent several reconstructions. However, visitors to the village can also come to the Jewish cemetery, monuments and chapels. A red tourist sign passes through Zittau, connecting the towns of Zlaté Moravce and Nová Baňa through the Pohronský Inovec mountains, as well as the Požitavská cycle route.