The history of settlement in the Rokitnica area, located on the northern edge of the Kaczawskie Foothills near Złotoryja, likely dates back to the Neolithic period. During the early Middle Ages, there may have already been hillforts preserved to this day on the slopes of the Kaczawa Valley. In the early 13th century, the local castle played an important role, and it was often frequented by Duke Henry the Bearded and Duchess Hedwig. It served as a protective outpost guarding the gold-bearing fields in the Kaczawa Valley and the trade route running along the river.
The development of nearby Złotoryja and the decline of gold mining after the battles with the Tatars in the mid-13th century led to the deterioration of the village and the castle. During the Hussite Wars in the first half of the 15th century, the castle was captured by the Hussites. Since 1451, it has remained in ruins. Fragments of the residential building and chapel walls have been preserved, along with remnants of the outer walls, the remains of the moat, and the earthwork fortifications. At the foot of the castle hill stands the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. It was originally built in the Romanesque style in the 13th century, reconstructed in the Gothic style in the 15th century after destruction, and modified in the 18th century. Attached to the main structure is a tower from 1451, crowned with a Baroque spire. Several Baroque epitaphs are embedded in the church’s external walls. A cemetery used to surround the church, and a stone bridge from 1885 leads to the new cemetery.
Description: Piotr Migoń
