Sion, Czech Republic

Castle Sion, named after the biblical site of Zion, is a ruined castle located on a steep rock at Chlístovice in the district of Kutná Hora (Czech Republic).

The fortress had built in the years 1426 to 1427 the Hussite general, Jan Roháč z Dubé as a separate residence. These were a relatively small triangular building with a small bailey protected by a heaped mound. The actual castle was behind a deep moat. The building did not have its own water sources protection against attacks offered only a small semi- circular tower, but where you could set up cannons.

According to the Catholic historian Aeneas Sylvius sent Emperor Sigismund against one of the last leaders of the Hussites, who had entrenched themselves on this castle with his followers, his army, which was to defeat the insurgents final. After forty days of siege succeeded the imperial army commander Hynek Ptáček z Pirkštejna, a nephew by Jan Roháč to take the castle. He was loud Sylvio build underground tunnels, the entrance to which was behind the Wall and the output in the moat. At the same time he waited for a favorable wind. On September 6, 1437 was time. It came on a stormy wind, which blew the smoke from the fire and the artillery in the direction of the castle, so that the soldiers unnoticed penetrate into the tunnel, cross the moat and were able to climb with the help of ladders are not too high fortress walls. Roháč should be at this time with some of his followers have been at lunch when he was alerted by the noise and took up arms. Too late, however, because a large part of the Imperial was now within the castle. Roháč was captured and with the 46 survivors (after František Palacký, there were 53), including the Polish knights Výšek Račinský and the priest Martin Prostředek, taken to Prague. The castle was set on fire and destroyed.

Meanwhile, one assumes, however, that Hynek, who was like the majority of the Bohemian nobility to the emperor not necessarily inclined, the castle is besieged and probably began no cannons that were too expensive and the technology also was not yet mature. Also, archaeological excavations have so far not occupy a large-scale operation of the guns as well as the aforementioned studs. The conquest of the castle finally succeeded only when Sigismund Hynek sent a Hungarian army led by Michal Orság to help.

From the castle today only some ruins are left.

49.888815.2105Koordinaten: 49 ° 53 ' N, 15 ° 13' O

• Ruined castle in the Czech Republic
• Okres Kutná Hora