Celemantia, ancien établissement germanique mentionné par Ptolémée au IIe siècle, témoigne de l'histoire millénaire de la Slovaquie. Ce castellum romain, dont la construction débuta à la fin du Ier siècle, incarne les enjeux géopolitiques de la frontière danubienne. Conquis et incendié par les tribus germaniques lors des guerres marcomanes (166-180), le fort fut reconstruit avant de disparaître vers 400, au début de la période des grandes migrations.
Situé à Iža, en Slovaquie orientale, ce site archéologique offre une fenêtre unique sur la coexistence entre l'empire romain et les peuples germaniques. Bien visible jusqu'au XVIIIe siècle, les ruines ont malheureusement fourni les matériaux de construction pour des fortifications ultérieures, notamment celle de Komárno.
Le nom local Leányvár ("château de la jeune fille") évoque les légendes locales, bien que l'étymologie véritable renvoie au legs historique du roi Béla IV aux sœurs dominicaines. Découvrez ce patrimoine romain et médiéval qui a façonné les dynasties d'Europe centrale.
« A Germanic settlement "Celemantia" in this area is mentioned by Claudius Ptolemaios in the 2nd century AD. It could be identical with the remnants of a civil settlement found next… »
« A Germanic settlement "Celemantia" in this area is mentioned by Claudius Ptolemaios in the 2nd century AD. It could be identical with the remnants of a civil settlement found next to the castellum or with another unknown settlement or, as some historians assume, it is the name of both the castellum and the remnants of the civil settlement. The construction of the castellum started in the 2nd half of the 1st century. It was conquered during the Marcomannic Wars (166-180) and burned down by Germanic tribes, and was rebuilt later. It ceased to exist around 400 (beginning of the Migration Period). The ruins were very well visible up to the late 18th century, but afterwards people used stones from the constructions to build the fortress and other buildings in Komárno. According to a local legend, a Roman soldier, Valentin, kept his mistresses in the fortress. The fictitious story explains the origin of the name Leányvár, meaning Girl Castle in Hungarian. However the name probably refers to the fact that the ruins of the castle were donated by King Béla IV of Hungary to the Dominican nuns of Margitsziget who later built a small fortress among them. »