Žarnovica

Žarnovica is district town with 6547 inhabitants in present-day.
The first written mention about Žarnovica is from the year 1322, when Žarnovica`s priest Fridrich of St Nicolaus Church is mentioned in a list of pope tithes, who was paying from his annual income of one talent {245,584g} a pope tithe of six pence. We consider this year as a year of foundation of Žarnovica and its church.

Further information about Žarnovica the district town in the Banská Bystrica region and about flat track - as a sports attraction of our town you will find on Web-sites mentionet below this text.
Points of interest, remarkables and rarities
Žarnovica, part Revištné Podzámčie

Near an important trade route in Pohronie, in a country abounding in forests and nature beauties you will find mainly of the view of historical interests ruins of Revište which are inseparable connected with history of Žarnovica. The first written mention about Land Revište /terra Ryvcha/ is in the document of Esztergom chapter from the year 1228.
Ruins of the castle are located at a steep at heights of 314m. There was used stone, brick and oak wood for this building. It was built by bondage of the Revište county of Late-Gothic style, outside walls are of Renaissance style. This castle had four towers, courtyard half-timbered by wall, had two floors and covered by shingle. In the middle of the building was a well, which was told about it reached to the Hron river.

In addition to defensive purpose the castle used to be fulfilling task of a center of a large medieval feudal county. It was very famous for its magnificent equipment, scene of games and feasts, signing of important contracts and artistocracy meetings, hunting in surrounding forests.
The most famous owner of the castle and surrounding country was the Dócio family which increased important economical level of this country (mills, sawmills, rolling-mill, black-smithing). The family was famous for its expansion with a purpose of developing of area and rivaling with mining cities. From this time a regulation of a large pond is dated in Revište (22ha) which is in addition to fish a nest of many kinds of birds, nowadays in the protected area.
After dying out of the family Dócio the Court chamber in Vienna is interested in gaining the county and since the year 1662 Revište had been in property administration of the Banská Štiavnica chamber. In further years the castle became witness of hard conflicts with Turks. An interesting legend about tragic love of lord of Revište with beautiful Želmíra, sister of Turk lord Hassan is bound to this era.
During the upstanding of magnate Imrich Tokoly from Kežmarok had its seat a crew of German emperor mercenaries at the castle.

In the year 1677 the castle had been burnt out, as follows repaired by the Banská Štiavnica chamber. It served to 1792 when he burnt out by thunderbolt.
Rests of the Revište castle, flow of the Hron river in a nice meander region, beautiful alley of old oak trees and poplars, camp for tourists and fishing at the Hron river, groups of newly cleared land houses, island washed by arms of the Hron river (nowadays you can recreate at summer cultural undertakings, mainly for youth, but for older visitors, too). The Žarnovica festival of brass-music, winter tourist ascent on Revište on St Stephan´s day (a typical restaurant "Pod hradom") create an interesting picture of southern parts of the Žiar hollow and invite you to show an interesting part of Žarnovica.
By Dr. Ján Gašparík