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Sitno Castle

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Sitnian Castle is the ruins of a medieval castle from the 13th century situated on the hill of the same name (1,009.2 m above sea level) in the Štiavnické vrchy mountains.

Sitno Castle

Sitnian Castle is the ruins of a medieval castle from the 13th century situated on the hill of the same name (1,009.2 m above sea level) in the Štiavnické vrchy mountains.

History

The top of Sitna with steep rock walls in the north and southwest was a convenient place to defend against the enemy in prehistoric times. The massive fortification, which had a transverse rampart separating the cult part of the fort from the acropolis, no longer used in the Middle Ages, dates from this period. In the first half of the 13th century, an extensive fortified fortified settlement was created, surrounding the top part of Sitna up to steep cliffs. In its most vulnerable part, a castle was built, the main task of which was to guard the easiest accesses and at the same time served as the last refuge for the defenders of the fort. In the 16th century, the walls of the barbican standing in front of the castle were completed and strengthened. His task was to protect the entrance to the castle from direct artillery fire after breaking the defense. The bullets then bounced off the sloping massive walls of the building. At the barbican there is a water tank carved into the bedrock.

In 1548, the castle was besieged by the royal army to snatch it from the hands of the robber knight Melichar Balassa. At the time of the Turkish danger, the castle was managed by military captains, until it was granted to Captain Ján Krušič. In 1629, Sitnian Castle became the permanent property of the Koháry family, who then owned it until its demise. In 1703, the castle was seized by the Kuruk troops of František Rákoczi II, who completely destroyed it at the end of the anti-Habsburg uprisings when he left in 1710. Both the castle and the fortifications became a source of building material for the lookout tower on Sitna and the manor house in Svätý Anton.

After the extinction of the Koháry family, it passed into the ownership of the Coburg family with the whole estate.
At present, stones from the portal of the castle entrance and prehistoric fireworks are placed on the foundations of the barbican.

exterior
On the Sitno hill stood a historic stone castle with fortifications, which surrounded the entire top plateau from the castle to the steep inaccessible rocks on the northern and southwestern edges. The walls were built on the foundations of the rampart fortifications of the fortified settlement, which also had a transverse rampart, which was not used in the Middle Ages. He separated part of the fort on the acropolis and could serve as a second line of defense. Remains of the perimeter masonry and foundations remain from the castle, from which it can be concluded that the castle consisted of two parts. On the northern side of the upper side there was probably a castle palace, to which a staircase carved into the rock, still visible today, led to the south, and the lower castle was laid to the south, as evidenced by the remains of its perimeter walls. From the western accessible side, there is a neck ditch, behind which are indicatively reconstructed parts of the barbican, and on the right is a water tank carved into the rock, which was in the courtyard. They could also have firing ranges on the barbican, and it was probably quite tall. The entrance to the castle was from its side, protected from attackers.

Current status

The castle is currently a ruin merging with the rock on which it is built. At the beginning of this century, volunteers began archaeological research and conservation of castle ruins. Today you have the opportunity to see the location of the barbican, the water tank, as well as the entrance to the castle. There is still a lot of work on the castle, but thanks to the work, some walls already allow a basic idea of the layout of the medieval castle. Be sure to look at the area of the fortified settlement - in some places there are traces of buildings and just a walk along the edge of the top plateau will give you an idea of the extent and power of this building.

Additional information

Places for trip Castles Ruins Area Hont Area Pohronie
Transport: By foot, By bike, By car, By bus
Parking: Free parking nearby

Accepted payments: Cash
Languages: Slovak

Suitable for: Childrens, Families with childrens, Elderly, Young, Adults
Season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Updated on: 10.6.2019
Source: Wikipédia

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    Contact

    Sitno Castle
    Hrad Sitno
    969 01  Ilija
    Region: Banskobystrický
    District: Banská Štiavnica
    Area: Hont, Pohronie
     48.401459, 18.886944

    Hrad Sitno
    969 01  Ilija

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