Veronika Desinić
Since the beginning of time, a man has believed in the existence of something transcendental, something that is the cause of everything his mind cannot explain. As time went by, in the 13th century witches became the main culprits for all the harm one might encounter in his life. They could influence the weather conditions and do harm to both animals and people. However, they were not only considered culprits. Often people would secretly turn to them for help. It was believed they could help in curing certain diseases, remove spells, prepare love potions.
Until 17th century witches were judged in the way that a previously defined number of witnesses had to pledge to their innocence. If only one of the witnesses thought that the accused was guilty, she would be burnt at the stake. Any woman of the lowest social class could have been declared a witch. Those were usually very beautiful women or very ugly widows. In almost every case the accused would, while undergoing torture, confess they are witches.
Veronika Desinić, a young beautiful girl, has found herself in that situation. Her ghost is said to still wander through Desinić, especially Veliki Tabor castle, as an eternal tomb of a tragic love.
Fridrik, the son of Count Herman Celjski, spent a lot of time in his father’s castle, Veliki Tabor. While walking around that great property, he visited Desinić, a nearby village, he saw a beautiful girl named Veronika. It was love at first sight, the kind young count could not deny. All he could think about was beautiful Veronika. That love blinded him and influenced his judgement so badly that he decided to get rid of his wife Elizabeta he was married to for eight years. She was the daughter of prince Stjepan Frankopan Modruški. He eventually killed her in 1422 and married Veronika. His father Herman was horrified and decided to punish his son for this act, so he asked for a verdict from his son-in-law, Croatian-Hungarian king Žigmund. The king threw young Fridrik in dungeon for five years. During that time Veronika was patiently waiting for his Fridrik in a tower near Ptuj, until Herman imprisoned her in a city of Ojstrica.
He accused her in court of being a witch who put a spell on his son that made him kill his wife. According to his testimony, she did all this to get the fortune and reputation of their family. Despite the accusations that she was stepping on the cross and eating human flesh, the set her free. Veronika managed to gather eleven witnesses, who confirmed her innocence. Veronika also pledged her innocence and was thereby forgiven.
At the end of her trial, the judge the judge said she was truly magical, but not a witch. Furious at the verdict, Herman once again imprisoned Veronika, but this time in Veliki Tabor where in 1425 his men strangled her and immured her into the wall between the central tower and the city entrance.
During long winter nights, her ghost wanders the old town where you can hear a woman crying and sobbing.
When Fridrik was released from dungeon in 1429 and found out about Veronika’s tragic death, he put up a plaque in Kartusian convent with the name and title of his beloved one – The countess of Celj.