THE LEGEND OF VERONIKA OF DESINIC

During long winter stormy nights one can hear screams of Veronika of Desinic, mingled with the shricks of the big owl. Veronika was a plebaian beauty who lived in the pictoresque village of Desinic in the 15th century, at the foot of Veliki Tabor castle, governed by a mighty Croatian ban, count Herman II of Celje. His young and well-built son Friedrich spotted the beaty on his ridingtours and fell in love with Veronika immediately. The romance of the two young people was not approved by father Herman, a Europen person in power of that time. The young couple was determined to stay together so they flew to Friedrichstein in Slovenia, in the vicinity of Kocevje. The beautiful and fortified castle was built by Herman for his son Friedrich as hunter's residence. Here, in the middle of dense woods abundant in the wild and protected by thick walls, the young lovers celebrated their wedding.

The honeymoon, alas, did not last long. The old count Herman found out soon where his son was and instructed his soldiers to catch the lovers. Friedrich managed rescue Veronika from the encirclement and istructed her to fly over Gorski Kotar, Pokuplje, Moslavina, Bilogora and Kalnik, up to the hamlet St. Margarita. Veronika was hidden here with a peasant where Friedrich used to stay overnight when hunting quails, padridges, pheasants and wild ducks. Friedrich was not able to escape father's army so he was brought to Veliki Tabor after a few days. The enraged father did not want to have a single look at his son and ordered his soldiers to convey him to Celje. Friedrich was closed in a thower measuring 8x8m groundfloor, and about 23m height. There was no roof on the tower whatsoever, and both the door and the window were walled in as soon as the young Friedrich was put on the tower. There was only an opening left for for the food to be thrown in to the FRiedrich. Friedrich spent four years in the tower when his father decided to set him free.

Alas, when Friedich was let out from the tower, he was both physically and psychically completely devastated and the history never ever mentioned him from that time on. Veronika was unfortunate, too. Herman's spys found out soon about her whereabouts and Herman sent his soldiers to catch and bring her to Veliki Tabor. At first she was put in asmall prison with no window. Ban Herman called in the judges and jury and accused the desperate Veronika of being a witch who had seduced his son. The judges started to hear out the poor Veronika. The investigation lasted for two days and in the evening of the second day the judges declared: Your Serene Highness! There is no guilt on the girl whatsoever, let alone a crime. Her only sin is that is love with your son Friedrich. Oh, but Your Highness, love has never been a sin, let alone acrime!Love is one of the finest human virtues. This concludes our job, Your Highness.

The judges were about to leave the castle when count Herman ordered the castellan to drawn Veronika immediately. The servant brought a large bucket filled with water in the middle of the court. They took Veronika and kept her head under water until the last bubbles of air disappeared. The dead body was pulled out fromthe bucket and brought to the first floor where it was walled in into the wall connecting the walls of the pentagonal tower with the portal.

When cleaning the rooms of the castle in 1982 we ran into a scull that was found out to had belonged to a female. Whether the scull belonged to the unhappy Veronika we can neither confirm nor deny. We can only say: May Veronika of Desic rest in peace!

August 1993
Prof. Josip Štimac