Žampach Castle

Žampach is situated on a wooded design in the same-name village of Ústí nad Orlicí district, about six kilometres southwest of Žamberk. It is a ruins of a castle built in the early 14th century, which is protected by the state as a cultural monument.

The castle was built during the intense colonization of the sparsely populated border forest of eastern Bohemia, which was carried out by members of the noble family "from Zebín" during the time of the last Přemyslovovci. This territory belonged to Czechoslovak royal property. The first indirect mention of the castle appears in 1309 in connection with the name Petra "de Santbach" as the owner of the castle. In 1312, the owner is reminded of Křesislav ze Žampachu.

The castle changed owners in the following century. Before 1324, Jan Lucemburský owned it and pawned it to Henry of Lipé. In the property of the Lords of Lipé, the castle is still mentioned in 1340 and 1346. A fundamental change was brought about by Jan from Smojno, called "Armour," who became the owner after 1346 and built a base from the castle for robbery trips around the area.

These activities were put to an end by the criminal expedition of the Czech king Charles IV, who besieged and conquered the castle, had Jan Pancír executed and the estate submitted to his own administration. The timing of these events is between the autumn of 1355 and spring of 1356. This dramatic chapter later became the subject of folk legends.

In 1357 he donated Karel IV. Manor Žampach to Čeňek from Potštejn as a replacement for Potštejn Castle, which confiscated his father. The Czech successors were his sons John and Nicholas. In particular Mikuláš Žampach from Potštejn († 1427) opted towards Hussite teaching and in 1415 he co-sealed the prosecuting list of Czech and Moravian nobles against the burning of Jan Hus. For this jurisdiction, the manor of 1421 was plundered by Silesian Catholic troops.

In the 15th century the owner was regularly changed by means of pledges and arrivals of various noble families. From 1513 to 1539, the castle was pawned by a number of owners who did not occupy it, so it was decaying during these decades. In 1539 Zdeněk Žampach from Potštejn paid him out of the pledge and tried to restore the estate.

The chapel, the first mentioned in 1540, stood in the forefront. In the 16th and 17th centuries it served as a family tomb of the House of Bukovsky from Husttiřany, in 1672 the Jesuits rebuilt it and dedicated it to the Holy Cross. It disappeared after 1787.

In the first half of the 16th century there was a cash-cassette shop in the castle. In 1542, suspected men were detained, who during the interrogation described the production and distribution of fake coins. Workers, including Jampashan blacksmith John, were sentenced to death by burning. The workshop probably worked with the knowledge of the local authorities until the payment of the castle from the collateral in 1539.

The castle Žampach thus witnessed medieval conditions in the Czech Republic - from scientific administration to chivalrous passions to economic decline and criminal acts of royal power.