Lipnica Castle
Encyclopedia
Lipnica Castle also known as Deserted Castle above the Lipnica (Pusti grad nad Lipnico), is a castle ruin above Creek, near the settlement of the same name, in the municipality of Radovljica
in northwestern Slovenia
.
n holdings of the noble house of Ortenburg
. First mentioned in 1263 as castrum Waldemberch, it was administered by the knights of Waldenberg, themselves first recorded in 1228 with a Fridericus de Waldenberch.
After the death of Count Friderik III of Ortenburg in 1418 at the castle, the lordship of Lipnica was inherited by the counts of Celje
; after their extinction in 1456 the castle became a ducal holding. Its castellans included the houses of Heunsberg, Dulacer, Velacer and Stain (of Kamen pri Begunjah), and the Lambergs. The lordship of Lipnica was managed by the Kacijanar family, the counts of Dietrichstein, and others, until the counts of Thurn merged it with Radovljica around 1600.
Lipnica Castle had been abandoned by then, having burned down in the 16th century and not deemed worth repairing. The core of the ruins consists of an impressive Romanesque
palacium, likely dating to the 12th century.
Radovljica
Radovljica is a town and a municipality in in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. The municipality has around 18,000 inhabitants and an area of 118 km²...
in northwestern 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...
.
History
The castle was once the seat of the Upper CarniolaUpper Carniola
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale.- Historical background :...
n holdings of the noble house of Ortenburg
Ortenburg
Ortenburg is a municipality and old market town in the district of Passau in Bavaria in Germany.-History:Set in the Wolfach River valley, Ortenburg can look back over a 900 year history. In about 1120 it was established by the Princes of Ortenburg. At the same time the upwardly mobile von Kamm...
. First mentioned in 1263 as castrum Waldemberch, it was administered by the knights of Waldenberg, themselves first recorded in 1228 with a Fridericus de Waldenberch.
After the death of Count Friderik III of Ortenburg in 1418 at the castle, the lordship of Lipnica was inherited by the counts of Celje
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
; after their extinction in 1456 the castle became a ducal holding. Its castellans included the houses of Heunsberg, Dulacer, Velacer and Stain (of Kamen pri Begunjah), and the Lambergs. The lordship of Lipnica was managed by the Kacijanar family, the counts of Dietrichstein, and others, until the counts of Thurn merged it with Radovljica around 1600.
Lipnica Castle had been abandoned by then, having burned down in the 16th century and not deemed worth repairing. The core of the ruins consists of an impressive Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
palacium, likely dating to the 12th century.
In culture
In 1939, the writer Josip Lavtižar set a historical novel at the castle. It is also the setting of the play Pusti grad ("Deserted Castle") by Polona Škrinjar.Sources
- Jakič, Ivan: "Vsi slovenski gradovi", DZS, 1999, ISBN 86-341-2325-1
- Lipniški grad pri Radovljici: Zgodovinska povest iz 14. in 15. stoletja, 1939, Josip Lavtižar