hradycs-panna-obr1.jpg

Panna

Pannu Castle was founded in 1421 by Sigismund of Wartburg. It happened at the time when he was besieging Kalich, the new castle of his arch-enemy Jan Žižka of Trocnov.

The siege of Kalich was not successful and Wartburg had to retreat. In the following months the Hussites went on the counter-offensive in the area and besieged Panna; in 1422 they were still unsuccessful, but in the following year they conquered the castle. Since even after Lipany, Panna, whose fortifications had been greatly strengthened by the Caliphs, remained one of the most important Hussite strongholds in the country, Emperor Sigismund ordered its demolition in 1437. The order was carried out after the besiegers succeeded in capturing the commander of the castle garrison after several weeks of conquest, who then had to order the defenders to surrender. The extremely large castle - the largest in the Bohemian Central Highlands - had several parts. While the trio of buildings on the top of the rock (593 m above sea level) probably did not deviate from the period parameters (palace, tower, another building), the extent of the loose and perhaps even walled perimeter fortification is awe-inspiring. The elaborate fortification system of a completely new type was based on embankments from which several earthen bastions ran out. These controlled not only the access road, but also some of the gates and resting places beneath the castle with relics of the siege camp from 1422 to 1423. The overall design of the building, in which wood also played an important role, indicates an emphasised military function. All of this makes Panna Castle a quite exceptional monument, its significance far exceeding the regional framework.

Photo gallery