Ronovci

The Ronovci (also Hronovci or Ronovici) were one of the oldest and most important Czech noble families. The first reports of their existence date from the end of the 12th century and are associated with Tuhány, central Bohemia and later with Bautzen, Zittau and northern Bohemia, especially Česká Lípa region. Over time, the family grew into many branches, e.g. lords of Dubá, Berka of Dubá, Lichtenburk, Křinecký of Ronov, etc.

Origin
The oldest known member of the family at the end of the 12th century was Smil Světlík from Tuháň. However, it is not documented whether it is Tuhaň, located approximately 4.5 km west from Dubá in Česká Lípa District, or Tuhaň in Slaný, which is now in the territory of Kladno-Švermov. The opinions of historians starting with František Palacký differ. At the beginning of the 13th century, Smil held Vojnica near Libochovice. He and his sons Jindřich and Častolov are mentioned in the years 1200–1227 as owners of various settlements in the northern part of today's central Bohemia, e.g. Lovosice, Klapý, Libochovice. Smil died sometime around 1216.

Častolov was listed as the son of Smil for the first time in 1216, while 10 years later he is listed as the highest hunter (Czech: nejvyšší lovčí). Jindřich, the second and younger of the sons, was mentioned for the first time (along with his brother) in 1219 as a witness to a document of Ottokar I of Bohemia for the monastery in Plasy. In 1232, he became a castellan at the royal castle of Bautzen, where he remained until 1237. Together with his brother Častolov and with the help of the Czech king Wenceslaus I, they acquired the territory of Zittau and after 1238 are mentioned in documents with the surname de Sitavia ("from Zittau"). The brothers managed to acquire a large piece of territory stretching from Pirna to the foothills of the Lusatian Mountains up to Česká Lípa, which became the family's power base.

Apparently, they chose their name in Zittau, in the Lusatian Neisse valley, today in Polish territory. The eponymous Ronov Castle in the south of Česká Lípa was built almost 150 years later, at the end of the 14th century. The people of Ronov also gave the name Ronov to other castles they built.

The rise to power of the Ronovci
In the period from 1248 to 1249, there was an uprising of Ottokar II of Bohemia against King Wenceslaus I. For personal assistance to the king during his campaign to Prague in August 1249, the two Ronovcis acquired other estates after helping to suppress the rebellion, e.g. Lichtenburk (Lichnice) castle in eastern Bohemia.

Jindřich's son Smil obtained the post of burgrave in Prague, and continued to use the surname de Sitavia. Shortly after 1240, he married Alžběta of Křižanov, sister of Saint Zdislava. After 1251, he used three surnames: from Zittau, from Lichtenburk and from Ronov, which he also acquired. The Ronovci family (Jindřich and son Smil † 1269) was exposed more in eastern than northern Bohemia after 1250, and they are then listed as the Lichtenburks.

Jindřich's brother - Častolov of Zittau also started a family. He had sons Jindřich (ancestor of the Berkas from Dubé), Častolov (younger, founder of the Klinštejn family) and the youngest Chvalo (built Ojvín castle, founder of the Lipá family). With them and the court of the new king Přemysl Otakar II he lived in Jablonné v Podještědí in 1250. All of them are mentioned in connection with Zittau in documents from 1249 to 1263. Elder Častolov of Zittau died shortly after 1253 and the property was gradually divided.

Under the pressure of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, all three sons left the Zittau region after 1263. It wasn't until 40 years later that a descendant of the Ronovci family, the rich feudal lord Jindřich of Lipá, returned here for a few years.

The next generation
There were more Častolovs, Smils, Jindřichs and Čeňks among the older Ronovcis and they used different surnames according to the estates they acquired. Častolov Jr. was often mentioned in documents as Čeněk, Čeněk of Zittau. Hynek is also referred to as Jindřich through the Latin transcription of the name. There are few surviving documents from that time, and it is difficult to distinguish which of the persons took part in the event, and researchers differ in their opinions.

Chval, the youngest mentioned, together with his son Čeněk, built the Lipý castle in Česká Lípa in the period 1268–1278. In 1257, Čeněk took part in the military campaign of the royal army of Ottokar II of Bohemia to Bavaria and distinguished himself at the Battle of Mühldorf. In the documents, Čeněk was also listed as Častolov from Frýdlant or from Ronov (Rohnau).

Lineage of the Ronovci
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Ronovci split into many separate lineages:


 * Lichtenburk
 * Krušina of Lichtenburk
 * Žlebský of Lichtenburk
 * Pykna of Lichtenburk
 * Bítovský of Lichtenburk
 * Lords of Klinštejn
 * Lords of Lipá
 * Lords of Pirkštejn
 * Lords of Dubá
 * Berka of Dubá
 * Škopek of Dubá
 * Adršpach of Dubá
 * Červenohorský of Dubá
 * Lords of Ronov and Přibyslav
 * Křineský of Ronov

Coat of arms
The common sign of all families deriving their origin from the Ronovci was crossed branches, most often black in a golden shield. The name of the family is also derived from branches (German ronne), so it is a so-called canting arms (on a phonetic basis). The individual families' coat of arms differed: the Lichtenburks and the lords of Lipá had a carp, the lords of Dubá wings with branches and other lines of their own sign. A number of legends were linked to their origin and coat of arms. According to one of them, the ancestor of the family named Hron was once caught and tied to a felled tree, according to another legend, they are descendants of the hunter Hovora, who saved Duke Jaromír, when the people of Vršov tied him to cut branches and tortured him. A member of the family is said to have won a carp in a coat of arms from Emperor Frederick Barbarossa for prowess in a tournament.