Babócsa (, ) is a village in

Somogy County Somogy (, ; ; , ) is an administrative county (Counties of Hungary, comitatus or ''vármegye'') in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. Somogy County lies in south-western Hungary, on the border with Croatia's Koprivnica- ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Etymology

Its name derives from the Hungarian or South Slavic world ''bab'' () which is a typical plant in the region.

Geography

It is on the southern side of ''Inner Somogy'', 5 km from the Hungarian-

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n-border. The ''Brook Rinya'' flows in the

River Drava The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe.

in the village. The settlement is situated east of the main road 68 and on the ''

Nagykanizsa Nagykanizsa (; , or just ''Kaniža/Kanjiža''; ; ; ; ), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southwestern Hungary. It is a city with county rights. It lies not far from Lake Balaton at the meeting point of five ...

Pécs Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...

Railway Line''.

History

Middle Ages

The territory of Babócsa has been inhabited already since the copper and bronze ages. Its first ruler was the Hungarian chieftain, ''Bogát''. Later

Koppány Koppány, also called Cupan was a Hungarian lord in the late 10th century and leader of pagans opposing the Christianization of Hungary. As the duke of Somogy, he laid claim to the throne based on the traditional idea of seniority, but was defea ...

became the owner Babócsa, but after the ''Battle of Veszprém'' his territories were given to ''Tibold'', the founder of the ''

Tibold Theobald is a Germanic dithematic name, composed from the elements '' theod-'' "people" and ''bald'' "bold". The name arrived in England with the Normans. The name occurs in many spelling variations, including Theudebald, Diepold, Theobalt, Tyba ...

noble kindred'', by

Saint Stephen of Hungary Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen ( ; ; ; 975 – 15 August 1038), was the last grand prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the first king of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038. The year of his bi ...

. They established a monastery here for the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

and dedicated it to Saint Nicholaus. The building was also a burial place of the family. In 1231 the territory of the ''Tibold'' family was split into pieces and this area came in the hands of the three sons of ''Bodor'': ''Jakab'', ''Kozma'' and ''Petke''. The papal tithe registration mentioned Babócsa's parish between 1332 and 1337. An official document written in 1348 refers to the Benedictine Abbey of Babócsa. In 1369 the village belonged to the ''Babólcsai'' family. The son of ''Miklós Babólcsai'', ''László'' had no descendant therefore the territory came in the hands of ''Dénes Marczali''. The ''Marczali'' family made the settlement also their seat. A decree from year 1478 also mentioned the settlement in which this parish inherited ''Kisbabócs'' from ''János Marczali''. According to the papal

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

registration just a chapel stood in the village. In the 15th century Babócsa had already market town rights. An official document from 1434 states that it was an

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...

. In 1475 the town belonged to the Báthory family. The Báthory family and the ''Mórocz de Meggyesalja'' family made an inheritance contract in 1490 which also consisted Babócsa. The ''Castle of Babócsa'' was also mentioned in it therefore it stayed in the hands of the ''Báthory'' family in 1495.babocsa.hu - Történet
/ref> The Benedictine Abbey of Babócsa existed in 1536 according to the tax register.

Main sights

* ''Babócsai Basa Garden'' Nature Reserve * ''Törökvár'' () * ''Castle of Basakert'' * church ruins from the Árpád era * ruins of a Motte-and-bailey castle from the Árpád era * ''Somssich Mansion'' (built in 1820 in

Classicist style Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthe ...

* Turkish well house from the 18th century * ''Narcissus Day'' and ''Narcissus Run'' * ''Thermal Spa of Babócs'' (since 2008 closed)

Gallery

Babócsa, Török-kút.jpg, Turkish well Fotothek df tg 0004773 Geometrie ^ Architektur ^ Festungsbau ^ Vermessung.jpg, ''Castle of Babócsa'' by ''Anton Ernst Burkhard von Birckenstein'' (1698) File:A babocsai vár feladóinak kivégzése 1601.jpg, ''Execution of the soldiers for betrayal of the Castle of Babócsa'' by ''Paul Fürst'' (1663) File:Babócsa vára egy régi metszeten.jpg, ''Castle of Babócsa'' by ''Samu Borovszky'' (1914) File:Babócsa vára 1664-ben.jpg, ''Castle of Babócsa in 1664'' by ''Samu Borovszky'' (1914)

References

External links

Street map (Hungarian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babocsa Populated places in Somogy County Hungarian German communities in Somogy County Hungarian Croatian communities in Somogy County Tibold (genus)