The
Counts of Cilli or
Celje (; ; ) represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day
Slovenia.
At the time the house died out they held the rank of princes of the Holy Roman Empire and many other titles in territories of present-day Central Europe.
Name and origins
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The name "Counts of Cilli" was given to the Lords of Sanneck or Sannegg by Emperor
Louis IV in 1341 and was derived from the medieval name
Cilli of the city of
Celje in
Lower Styria. Celje itself became a property of the dynasty in 1333. and in a short period of time they owned more than 20 castles all over the territory of modern Slovenia and beyond through the marriages of their daughters.
Habsburg's allies
In the 14th century they allied with the
Habsburgs in their war against the counts of
Gorizia-
Tirol, making Cilli
vassals of the Habsburgs in 1308.
With their acquiring large estates in the adjoining duchies of
Styria,
Carinthia,and
Carniola as well as in the territories of the
Hungarian crown (
Croatia,
Slavonia) their influence rose and they became one of the most powerful families in the area. They were related by marriage with rulers of
Bosnia and
Polish and
Hungarian kings.
Savior of the king
Their rapid rise started after the
Battle of Nicopolis (1396) where
Hermann II of Cilli saved the life of
Sigismund of Luxemburg (Hungarian king, from 1433
Holy Roman emperor). As a reward king Sigismund donated (1397-99) the city of
Varaždin, the county of
Zagorje, and many estates in present-day
Croatia to the family.
The House of Cilli and Sigismund became even closer through the marriage of Hermann's daughter
Barbara of Cilli to king Sigismund.
In 1436 the Emperor elevated the counts to the rank of
princes of the Holy Roman Empire (although they retained their title of Count, in ,in ). The
Habsburgs, whose strongest rivals they had become, reacted with a war that lasted until 1443, when an agreement of mutual inheritance was signed.
Keeper of the young king
Ulrich II of Cilli was the most powerful member of the Cilli family. He held a large influence in many courts, which originated from the relationships the Cilli family had made in the past. He tried to get regency of
Hungary,
Bohemia and
Austria through control over
Ladislas the Posthumous, at the time a minor. With such ambitions he got many opponents and rivals, such as the
Hunyadi family. After an unsuccessful claim to the
Bosnian crown, Cilli obtained some territories in
Croatia and
Slavonia and finally succeeded in forcing
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor to hand over (1452) the boy king
Ladislas the Posthumous to his keeping. Thus, Ulrich II became practically the ruler of Hungary.
In 1456 after the death of his rival
John Hunyadi, Ulrich II was named Captain General of Hungary, an office previously held by John Hunyadi. That initiated a plot by the Hunyadi family against Ulrich II, and he was assassinated on 8 November, in
Belgrade.
Murder in Belgrade
With the death of Ulrich II the male line of the Counts of Cilli died out, and after a war of succession all of their estates and property were handed over to the
Habsburgs on the basis of the inheritance agreement.
Legacy
Part of their coat of arms - the three golden stars on a blue background, which, as Lords of Sanneck, they had inherited from the once powerful
Carinthian Counts of
Heunburg upon their becoming extinct in 1322 - was incorporated into the
Slovenian coat of arms in 1991. It is also the current coat of arms of
Celje.
In addition, all European monarchs descended from
Christian IX of Denmark and his wife,
Louise of Hesse-Kassel (a direct matrilineal descendant of
Barbara of Celje) are descended from the family.
The Lords of Sanneck or Barons of Soune, Counts of Cilli
The Lords of Sanneck (Žovnek) or Barons of Soune
Gebhard (cca 1130-1144)
Gebhard II (1173-1227)
Conrad I (+ cca. 1255)
Ulrich I (+ cca. 1265)
Ulrich II (+ cca. 1316)
Frederick I (+ 1360), from 1341 Count of Celje
Counts of Cilli (Celje)
Herman I (+ 1385), wife Katarina Kotromanić
William (+ 1392), wife Ana of Poland, daughter Anna of Cilli (+ 1416)
Herman II (+ 1435), daughter Barbara of Cilli (+1451)
Frederick II (+ 1454), 1.wife Elizabeth Frankopan, 2. wife Veronika of Desenice
Ulrich II (+ 1456), wife Katarina Branković
References
Slovenstvo grofov Celjskih, 1937 (dr. Dragan Šanda)
External links
Slovenstvo grofov Celjskih
http://genealogy.euweb.cz/small/cilli.html
Castle view Video showing the Celje Castle today
Category:Counts of Celje
Category:History of Slovenia
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![Trakošćan (also spelled Trakostyan) is a castle located in northern Croatia (in the Varaždin county) that dates back to the 13th century (first written mention is in 1334). It has been meticulously maintained and is currently one of the best preserved historic buildings in the country.[citation needed]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110504022156im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/b6/33/7f036d2641cd36e39978b5064185_thumb.jpg "Trakošćan (also spelled Trakostyan) is a castle located in northern Croatia (in the Varaždin county) that dates back to the 13th century (first written mention is in 1334). It has been meticulously maintained and is currently one of the best preserved historic buildings in the country.[citation needed]")
