Sitno Castle

Sitno or Sitno Castle is a medieval castle ruin from the 13^th century situated in the Štiavnice Mountains (Štiavnické vrchy). The top of Sitno with its steep rock walls in the north and south-west was a favourable place for defence against the enemy already in prehistoric times. The massive fortification, which had a transverse rampart separating the cult part of the fortress from the acropolis, dates from this period. In the first half of the 13^th century, a large fortified settlement was built surrounding the upper part of Sitno up to the steep cliffs. A castle was built in its most vulnerable part, whose main task was to guard the easiest approaches and at the same time served as the last refuge of the defenders of the fortress. In in 1548 the royal army besieged the castle to wrest it from the hands of the robber knight Melchior Balasa. In 1629, Sitno Castle came into the permanent possession of the Koháry family, who then owned it until the end of its existence. In 1703, the Kuruc troops of Francis Rákoczi II seized the castle, who completely destroyed it at the end of the anti-Habsburg uprisings when leaving in 1710.