The Jasov Castle ruins are located in the village of Jasov, Slovakia.
Jasov Castle History
After the battle of Rozhanovce in 1312, at which King Karol Robert vanquished the Omodej clan, he had a castle built on the north-east tip of Jasov Rock, on the basis of an agreement with the Convent of Jasov, and entrusted it to the care of the count palatine.
Records from 1324 mention Lack, son of Mika de Beel, who was himself castellan to Count Palatine Filip, as the castellan or keeper of the castle. The castle was intended for the defense of the as-yet unfortified monastery, and in the records of 1390, its name is given as Jazowara. In the 15th century, it was besieged by the brattice armies led by the Pole Udricky.
Just below the castle mount, in the upper part of Jasov Cave, an inscription was discovered in 1923 written in charcoal directly on the dry limestone rock, which tells of the battle between Jan Jiskra of Brandys and Jan Hunady at Lucenec. It is dated St. Matthew’s Day, 24.2.1452, and commemorates Jiskra’s victory.
In 1458 Jasov Castle was taken by the royal army led by Sebastian of Rozhanovce but was subsequently never rebuilt.
The Jasov Castle stood on the very top of the limestone outcrop, directly above Jasov Cave, at a height of 96 meters relative to the river below, and 350 meters above sea level. It formed an irregular oval with dimensions 46 * 12 to 14 meters and with its longer axis oriented east-west.
The rocky plateau over which the castle extended is defined on the north side by a steep and in places vertical drop. On the other side, it was protected by a ditch carved out of the rock, 7-10 meters wide and 4-12 meters deep. An A180 cm thick outer defense wall rose up above this ditch.
On the north side, overlooking the steep drop, for safety reasons there was probably a simple wooden fence. On the western side of the castle yard stood a residential palace building with a ground area of 12×10 meters, whose outer defenses were an integral part of the general fortifications. There are no other visible signs of further stone architecture in the castle interior.
The access road led up from the east and then crossed over through a cutting to the western side, where there was a bridge construction of which some masonry in the shape of a letter L has survived to this day.
There was another ring of fortifications around the castle forecourt, at a distance of 100 to 150 meters to the south, consisting of a large ditch 300 m long, 18-20 m wide, and 5-7 meters deep, with a 2-3 m high earth rampart along the interior side.
The strength of the former nature trail leads to Jasov’s rock. The entry point is directly in front of Jasov Cave. The trail is marked on both sides. When you stand facing the cave, take the left direction, so the path is easier on the rock