Lihtenberk Castle
Encyclopedia
Lihtenberk Castle is a 13th century castle ruin located in the municipality of Šmartno pri Litiji
in central Slovenia
, directly adjacent to the later Bogenšperk Castle
. It is best known for a minor association with the 17th-century historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor
, who owned the ruin and styled himself (among other things) "von Lichtenberg."
n ministerialis
Albert de Lihtenberca; the knights von Lichtenberg had taken the castle from the knights Andes, and they from the knights Višjegorski. In 1250, the castle is recorded as castrum Liechtemberch, in 1288 as castrum Leytemberch, in 1338 as Pilgrimum de Liechtenberch, and in 1393 and 1396 simply as Lyechtenberg. Around 1288 the castle was temporarily occupied by Count Meinhard of Tyrol, who gave it out in fief, but the Patriarchate of Aquileia
soon intervened to revert the castle to its previous state of ownership.
At the end of the 15th century, the castle was received as dowry by Boltežar the noble Wagen, imperial administrator of the castles of Hošperk by Planina and Šteberk in Cerknica
, as well as lord of Kostel Castle
near the river Kolpa. By this time the castle was in a very poor state or repair, and the seat of the lordship was moved to the newly-built Bogenšperk Castle
nearby. The fate of Lihtenberk was sealed in 1511 by a major earthquake which badly damaged the building; in 1630 its then-owner Jurij Kheysell demolished what was left and used the materials for the consolidation and repair of Bogenšperk, a practice continued later in the century by Valvasor.
Šmartno pri Litiji
Šmartno pri Litiji is a town and a municipality in central Slovenia. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Central Slovenian statistical region. The town itself is located 3 km southeast of Litija at the confluence of three creeks: Reka, Črni potok and...
in central Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, directly adjacent to the later Bogenšperk Castle
Bogenšperk Castle
Bogenšperk Castle is a 16th century castle located in the municipality of Šmartno pri Litiji in central Slovenia. It is best known for its association with the 17th-century historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor.- Architecture :...
. It is best known for a minor association with the 17th-century historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor
Janez Vajkard Valvasor
Johann Weichard Freiherr von Valvasor or simply Valvasor was a Slovenian nobleman, scientist and polymath, and a fellow of the Royal Society in London.-Biography:...
, who owned the ruin and styled himself (among other things) "von Lichtenberg."
Architecture
Lihtenberk was a walled castle with a three-story residential palacium, remnants of which are the only element still visible today.History
The castle first appears in written sources in 1223, in the form of a mention of its then-owner, AquileiaAquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
n ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
Albert de Lihtenberca; the knights von Lichtenberg had taken the castle from the knights Andes, and they from the knights Višjegorski. In 1250, the castle is recorded as castrum Liechtemberch, in 1288 as castrum Leytemberch, in 1338 as Pilgrimum de Liechtenberch, and in 1393 and 1396 simply as Lyechtenberg. Around 1288 the castle was temporarily occupied by Count Meinhard of Tyrol, who gave it out in fief, but the Patriarchate of Aquileia
Patriarch of Aquileia
The Patriarch of Aquileia was an office in the Roman Catholic Church. During the Middle Ages the Patriarchate of Aquileia was a temporal state in Northern Italy. The Patriarchate of Aquileia as a church office was suppressed in 1752....
soon intervened to revert the castle to its previous state of ownership.
At the end of the 15th century, the castle was received as dowry by Boltežar the noble Wagen, imperial administrator of the castles of Hošperk by Planina and Šteberk in Cerknica
Cerknica
Cerknica is a town and municipality in the Kras region of southwestern Slovenia, with a population of 10,284 . It belongs to the traditional region of Inner Carniola....
, as well as lord of Kostel Castle
Kostel Castle
Kostel Castle is a castle above the settlement of Kostel in southeastern Slovenia. It is located on a steep hill above the river Kolpa, not far from the Croatian border.- History :...
near the river Kolpa. By this time the castle was in a very poor state or repair, and the seat of the lordship was moved to the newly-built Bogenšperk Castle
Bogenšperk Castle
Bogenšperk Castle is a 16th century castle located in the municipality of Šmartno pri Litiji in central Slovenia. It is best known for its association with the 17th-century historian Janez Vajkard Valvasor.- Architecture :...
nearby. The fate of Lihtenberk was sealed in 1511 by a major earthquake which badly damaged the building; in 1630 its then-owner Jurij Kheysell demolished what was left and used the materials for the consolidation and repair of Bogenšperk, a practice continued later in the century by Valvasor.
Sources
- Ivan JAKIČ, Vsi slovenski gradovi ("All Slovene Castles"), DZS, Ljubljana, 1997, pg. 188
- Bogenšperk Castle - official website