Čičava Castle

Lore & Background

The castle's construction occurred between 1309 and 1316, likely undertaken by the sons of Reynold Básztély, who had been granted the Čičva property by King Stephen V in 1270. The earliest documented reference to the castle is from 1316, in a document issued by Master Peter, Reynold's grandson, awarding the Tuzsér estate to castellan Nicholas Peres for successfully defending the castle. This defense involved repelling an assault by Peter, son of Petenye, during which Nicholas lost his left arm and his brother Stephen, along with three other garrison members, perished.

In 1575, the marriage of Ferenc Nádasdy and Elizabeth Báthory occurred in nearby Vranov nad Topľou, and Čičva Castle was included in the bride's dowry. In 1610, Elizabeth's daughter Catherine received it as part of her dowry, bringing the castle under the Drugeth family, who significantly expanded it. During the Drugeths' time, the archive of Zemplén County was housed there. In the 1660s, Zsigmond Drugeth inherited the castle; he opposed the anti-Habsburg uprising, but in 1684 the castle was captured by Thököly's forces, leading to Zsigmond's execution and the end of the Drugeth lineage.

After Zsigmond's death, his two daughters and their spouses received the estates. Around 1704, the castle was taken by rebels supporting Francis II Rákóczi, who repaired and fortified it. The castle withstood imperial assaults until 1711, when Count Ferenc Barkóczy allied with imperial troops and surrendered it; the imperial general Sigbert Heister subsequently destroyed it, and it has remained in ruins since.

Reader's Guide

Čičava Castle holds significance as a medieval fortress with a unique cultural legacy. Its most distinctive feature is the 'Book of Lies and Liars,' housed there during the 16th and 17th centuries, which recorded outrageous lies and their tellers. This gave rise to the enduring Slovak expression 'it should be entered in the Čičava Book,' used to denote bold or outrageous lies. The castle's history reflects the turbulent politics of medieval Hungary, including its role in the anti-Habsburg uprisings of the 17th and early 18th centuries. It changed hands through marriage and conflict, notably passing from the Rozgonyi family to the Drugeths via Elizabeth Báthory's dowry, and later being held by Rákóczi's rebels before its destruction in 1711. The castle's architectural design, built on a promontory with thick walls and no initial tower, illustrates defensive adaptations of the period. Declared a cultural monument in 1963 and partially renovated in 2024, the ruins remain a tangible link to the region's medieval and early modern past.

Did You Know?

• The Slovak expression 'it should be entered in the Čičava Book' is still used to signify outrageous or bold lies, though the book itself is a folk legend.
• The castle's castellan Nicholas Peres lost his left arm defending the castle in 1316, and his brother Stephen died in the same assault.
• The castle was destroyed in 1711 by imperial general Sigbert Heister after being surrendered by Count Ferenc Barkóczy.