fortification Hillfort

We welcome you to the village of Bojná, in the heart of the Nitra region, where there is a place in front of you with fascinating history. You stand in front of a castle that is a silent witness to ancient times, when the identity of our ancestors formed here. Now that you look around, you may see only a peaceful landscape, but beneath your tracks and a comprehensive network of ancient fortifications is hidden in the area. Feel the atmosphere of this place because it was here more than a thousand years ago that strategic interests, business travels and ambitions of the early Slavonic tribes met.

Let's just get together in time to understand why this place was so important. The story of this area begins in the seventh and eighth centuries. At that time the early-Slovak development phase, which was associated mainly with the locality of Bojná III - Žihľadník. During this period, the first people who chose this location were settled here, not by accident. If you look at the terrain around you, you will realize that this place offered an excellent overview of the surroundings. The whole agglomeration operated from about the seventh to the tenth century and its main advantage was control of the strategic communication route. Who controlled the Bojňa, controlled the movement of people and goods in this region.

Let us continue walking in history into the ninth century. There is a significant change in this period. There is a large Moravian phase coming up with the transfer of the settlement centre. The centre of social and defence life is moved to the locations of Bojná I and Bojná II. Imagine how architecture and the organisation of space are changing at this time. The year 890 was the key moment when the extensive reconstruction of the Bojná Castle took place Even for a real fortress. It was not just a mere seat, but a strategic point that would resist attacking and demonstrating the power of rulers. Last time were fortification repairs in Bojná locality I implemented around 920. But then came the era of change. In the first half of the tenth century, the center disappeared. This was linked to the formation of the Hungarian state, which changed the political map of the region and the old castles lost their original function, slowly starting to sink into oblivion and bury under the layers of the earth.

now pay attention to what we can derive from archaeological knowledge in terms of architecture and construction. Although you can't see the high walls of stone today, as we know them from later medieval castles, these were impressive buildings. Note the area of the Bojná I castle. Imagine that this area, which measures about ten acres [10 ha], was demolished by a mighty rampart at the time of its glory. This wall was not just a pile of land, but it was built by special chamber technique. This means that wood, earth and stone were combined to create a stable and solid structure that was very difficult to go beyond.

In addition to the wall itself, it was complemented by a trench. Try to imagine how deep and insurmountable this trench was for the attackers. The combination of a deep trench and a tall chamber wall made Bojná so-called hardness, which provided no feathers to anyone behind its walls. It's fascinating to think about how much work and material the Vczasnoslovan construction assaults had to spend on building this vast field system in which you are now moving.

Although in historical sources we cannot exactly name the specific personalities that lived or ruled here, the very size and complexity of the castle tells us much about the people who worked here. They were not just ordinary farmers, but an organised community with a clear hierarchy, able to coordinate large construction projects. She was probably the administrative and military center where important issues of the region were dealt with and where representatives of power from Great Moravia met.

One of the greatest mysteries and attractions of this place is how long it has been hidden from modern knowledge. Only at the beginning of the single twenty-first century began systematic research under the Archaeological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. It is thanks to them today that we know about chamber vale technique and the precise time frame of development from early-noslovak tribes to the demise in the early Hungarian period. It is amazing that the earth has kept this information for so long, and only in recent decades have we been able to rediscover the meaning of this strategic point.

So you are standing in a place that was the key to controlling trade routes and witnessing the rise and fall of a large political entity. From early-Slovak Žihľajník to the Great Moravian Fortress to the silent collapse of the meadows and forests.

We are inviting you now to further explore the surroundings. Go through the area slowly, see the silence of this country and try to imagine the noise of buildings, noises in walls and strategic plans that were implemented thousands of years ago. We hope this short trip to the past has helped you to better understand the importance of the Bojná Castle. Thank you for your attention and we wish you a pleasant next day to discover our common roots.