Novohrad Region

In Slovakia, the territory of Novohrad today covers almost the entire Lučenec district, approximately 2/3 of the Poltár district, the eastern half of the Veľký Krtíš district, the southern part of the Zvolen district (Lešť and its surroundings), the southern part of the Detva district and small parts of the Rimavská Sobota district.^[1][2] Historically significant villages of Novohrad include Halič and Divín.^[3]

The northern part of Novohrad is mountainous with hills and spa settlements, while the southern part features lowlands in the Slovak Ore Mountains along the Ipeľ river.^[1] The region's highest point is Bykovo hill at 1110.4 meters.^[2] Notable cultural sites include castles such as Fiľakovo, Hodejov, and Modrý Kameň, as well as Gothic churches with murals. Folk culture is preserved in local museums, particularly in Lučenec and Fiľakovo.^[1]

The region was named after the Novohrad Castle, which was the seat of the Novohrad County Governor.^[4] At the end of the 19th century, it covered an area of 4,124 km². The intravolcanic furrow divides it into northern and southern parts. Novohrad region was founded in the 10th or around the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries.^[5] Originally, the territories of Hont and Malohont also belonged to it. From an ecclesiastical perspective, the northern part of Novohrad belonged to the Diocese of Esztergom, and the southern part to the Diocese of Vác.^[6]

The territorial integrity of Novohrad was disrupted by the Turks, who managed to conquer almost the entire region in the second half of the 16th century (including the castles of Modrý Kameň and Divín).^[4] The conquered territory was annexed to the Buda Pashalik and administratively belonged to three newly established sanjaks with their centers in Novohrad, Sečany, and Fiľakovo.^[5] During the Long Turkish War, the Turks lost Novohrad, and after the fall of Nové Zámky in 1663, they regained control of the castles in the south (Novohrad, Sečany, etc.).^[6][7]

Until the 19th century, Novohrad was divided into four serf districts; from the second half of the 19th century, it was divided into seven.^[4] The administrative center was originally in Novohrad; the administration of the yeoman's seat was located in Balážske Ďarmoty until the mid-16th century, then in Lučenec after the expulsion of the Turks, and again in Balážske Ďarmoty from 1790.^[7] After the collapse of the Austria-Hungary, the new Czechoslovak-Hungarian borders divided Novohrad into separate administrative units. The seat of the Slovak Novohrad County was in Lučenec.^[6][5]