THIS picturesque scene from the central Považie (the region along the river Váh), captured sometime at the turn of the 19th century, can no longer be admired as depicted in the above postcard. The river Váh has since been forced into an artificial riverbed, bordered by a high embankment.
The ruin of Považský hrad (Považský Castle), called Bystrica in the past, dominates the picture. In the first half of the 16th century, the pillaging knights Ján and Rafael Podmanickýs, used to terrorise the inhabitants of its vast surroundings. The castle's lordship eventually eased off and some 100 years later moved into a more comfortable manor house situated under the hill.
Migrations such as these, from impregnable castles to luxurious residences, were common in many places around Slovakia in those times.
Prepared by Branislav Chovan, Special to the Spectator
Author: Prepared by Branislav Chovan
