NAME
Radeče, Ratschach, Radecse
Litography of castle and market Radeče made in 1679 by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor.
Country: Slovenia
Region: Lower Carniola
Municipality: Radeče
City: Radeče
Object: Old castle Radeče
First mention: year 1336 as haws Ratschach
Preservation: ruin
HISTORY
* In Roman times a ship harbor called Mansio was at today`s settlement Radeče. On location were found altars of water gods Neptune and Savus. Today river is still called Sava after the probably pre-roman pagan water god Savus. The settlement itself was called by romans Praetorium Latovicorum.
* According to Johann Weichard Valvasor (17th century), the castle Radeče was supposed to have been build in 11th century.
* The castle is built on a hill called Vransko. During the time of Christening, the first churches were built on the old pagan sanctuarys. By the old folk tales name Vransko is supposed to be a holy pagan place where the soul went to paradise.
*Inside the hill is supposed to be a huge lake and even to this day people give gifts to Christian god to protect them from the danger of a flood if the hill bursts. According to Johann Weichard Valvasor (17th century) there was a huge entrance to a carst cave that leads to the lake, but nobody has found it so far.
* The castle stands above the vertical cliff called Brus (grind), which is also visible on Valvasor’s depiction of the castle. According to the story, all men from settlement Radeče have escaped from the Turkish army to the cliff, where they hide. When the Turks left, they told their wives that they went to the cliff to grind their swords and that it was a pity because the Turks had already left. The cliff is called Brus even to this day.
* The first mention of the settlement Radeče in written records is from 1297 as Razach.
* In 1338, Radeče are for the first time called market.
*In the year 1442, Counts from Cilli with ther military leader Jan Wittowezc demolished the old market, tower and castle Radeče because the inhabitants sided with the Habsburgs with which Counts from Cilli were in war with.
* Primož Trubar (born 1508) allegedly lived in Radeče during his studies in Vienna and Graz. He is the first person to write books in Slovenian language.
* In the peasant revolt of the year 1573 the castle was not demolished, but dozens of Slovenian castles were conquered and vandalised.
* In 1576, the market of Radeče was hit by a plague that caused masive illness and death.
*In 1589 the first school was build in market Radeče.
*At the end of the 16th century, the mining company located in the Radeče market was looking for gold, copper and iron ore. With the permission of Yuri Gaisweger was searching for iron ore allowed on Žebnik and Svibno landholding. Because of this, the forests in the area suffered great devastation. The copper and iron ore were transshipped on boats on the Sava River.
*During the time of Napoleon, market Radeče found themselves on the state border between the Austrian and French Empire.
*In the 19th century Radeče got their own coat of arms.
* In all of the history of market Radeče, fire burned it six times.
IMAGES
Images made by Vigilant Knight
Attempted reconstruction of castle Radeče made by Vigilant Knight
WEB
Source: Grad Radeče Wikipedija
Source:Gradovi v Sloveniji
Source: Gradovi.net
Source:Občina Radeče
BOOKS
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: “Grajske stavbe v osrednji Sloveniji (II. Dolenjska) – Med Bogenšperkom in Mokricami”, Založba Viharnik, Ljubljana, 2001, ISBN 961-6057-28-6
GPS
Latitude: 46 ° 4’5.56 “S
Longitude: 15 ° 10’53.12 “V
Vigilant Knight 