Upper castle of Kamnik if indirectly mentioned for the first time in some bestowal document from the
years between 1143 and 1147 when count of Andech Bertold II. is mentioned (comes Bertoldus de Stein)
and also castellan Karol of Kamnik (Karol de Stein) besides him, who designates Bertold as his
master - per manum domini sui Bertoldi comitis de Stein. At the time the castle was managed by
its castellans and not by lords of Andech. In 1154 Bertold III. of Andech is mentioned (Berchtoldus de Stein),
son of Bertold II. who probably died in the crusades in Palestine because he isn't mentione anymore.
In 1202 first direct mentioning occurs. Bertold, duke of Meran pawned at the time both castles of Kamnik to
patriarch of Oglei Peregrin III. - duo castella de Staine along with all estates, farmhans and
maidservants, rights and belongings except ministerials, but also his allodia in Carniola and at Vipava
in exchange for 1.000 breg marks.
As witnessed by documents lords of Andech stayed in Kamnik a lot and castellans - sometimes there were many
of the at the same time - were changing frequently especially on the Upper castle. As a supreme feudal
lords who had a castle in feud or pawned are after 1228 lords of Babenberg, Spanheims, Tirol and Habsburgs.
Castle which was a seat for provincial prince's dominion and provincial court of law was populated until around
1576 when a lightning strike killed a daughter of a owner at the time Ahacij Thurn and after that Thurns left the
castle and moved first to their house in the town and after to their newly built manor near Komenda - Križ. In 1670,
at the time of steward Mihael Žiga Barmsfeld, a roof has collapsed on the castle and this resulted in abandoning
the castle. In World War II German soldiers built a concrete bunker in the eastern side of the ruins and on the
same place after the war mountaineers from Kamnik built their post which still serves its purpose today.
From the years between 1570 and 1574, when the owner was Franc Thurn, and interesting inventory of castle
was preserved. According to writings by Anton Kasper from 1898 and translated by Ludvik Cimperman the
inventory was prepares for publishing by gymnasium professor from Kamnik, historian Ivan Zika. His summary
can be raed in mentioned literature (Stopar, 1997).
|
Literature: |
Stopar, Ivan, Dr.: "Grajske stavbe v osrednji Sloveniji - I. Gorenjska (Območje Kamnika in Kamniške Bistrice)", Viharnik, Ljubljana, 1997, ISBN 961-6057-12-X
|
Shows and entertainment: |
Medieval reenactment day every year in the begining of June, for other
events see http://turizem.kamnik.si.
|
back
|
|
Mountaneering post on eastern part of castle scheme; nowadays an inn
named "Grof Andeš" resides in this former post
|
|
Western part of castle scheme, where palatium was located
|
|
Ruined part of northern supplemental defence wall ring
|
|
Ruined north-western tower where in 1208 a castle chapel was located,
dedicated to St.John the Baptist (underneath supposedly castle dungeons were located)
|
|
View of western part of castle scheme from the elevation where
maybe a defence tower - propugnaculom was located before the earthquake in 1511
|
|
Castle entrance was located on south-eastern side; above (probably shooting/arrow) loop-hole
|
|
Battlements or just ruined loop-holes at the top
|
|
Path to inner castle was running through Renaissance pen
|
|
Renaissance pen, view from west
|
|
We had to pass three doors in a pen before we could reach inner castle;
this spot is where the second doors were probably located
|
|
Loop-hole near the place where probably second doors were
located
|
|
Renovated part of supplemental defence ring, surrounding the castle
|
|
Last of three "doors" were additionally protected with
moat and draw bridge and a part of this pen was just before the entrance protected also with
a turret
|
|
Entrance to castle courtyard;
view from inside
|
|
|
|
When after the war a mountaineering post was built in
castle ruins eastern part of castle was completely destroyed; southern wall on which the post
is standing is of Romanesque origin
|
|
View on eastern sheer slope and mountaineering post
|
|
At the entrance a part of cut stone arch is located on the ground
and is probably part of former entrance portal
|
|
Loop-hole in the southern wall at the entrance into the inner castle
|
|
Renaissance pen, view from west
|
|
Part of defence ring which in this part was surrounding pentagonal place
|
|
Part of Kamnik and part of Podgorje
|
|
View towards Kamnik Alps
|
|
Castle tumult in castle core (medieval reenactment day, 2005)
|
|
J. V.
Valvasor, Old castle above Kamnik
|
|