Bánov

The village has been inhabited since ancient times. Ancient settlement is proven by unearthed relics found at Zámeček, which date back to Neolithic and Bronze Age. Neolithic settlement of Želiezovce culture and ceramics of Bukovohorska culture were uncovered in Bánov. Other findings are from Iron Age and La Téne period. There were exposed urn graves of the late Roman period (2nd century AD). Other findings prove the settlement after the arrival of the Slavs. Termination of Great Moravia had far-reaching consequences on the development of Upper Danubian Slavs, the direct ancestors of today's Slovaks. After the collapse of central authority, the territory of Slovakia disintegrated into smaller administrative districts headed by representatives of the local aristocracy. Bánov’s surroundings were invaded by groups of Hungarian fighters during the first half of the 10th century. In order to control subjugated territory, the ancient Hungarians began to build a dense network of fortresses on the occupied territories. Hungarians named them after one of the seven old Hungarian tribes. The whole Ponitrie, from river Nitra to the north, was occupied by representatives of old ancient Hungarian tribes of Megyer, Keszi, Kér and Gyarmat. The original name of Bánov - Bánkeszi - Bánove Kosihy - offers a hypothesis that a local village of Hungarian guards from the Kosihy tribe, founded in the first half of the 10th century in the neighborhood of earlier Slavic settlements, was the seat of a senior military commander (bán). Battle on the river Lech in 955, in which the Hungarian army suffered a crushing defeat by the German King Otto I. and his allies, was important for further development of ancient Hungarian tribes. Hungarian population gradually mixed with the original Slavic population. Bánov, respectively three villages named Kesa on its territory, had already appeared for the first time in written sources in 1113. They were referred to as villa Quescu and alia villa Kescu, Bánovská Kesa (Bánkeszi) and Malá or Mlynská Kesa (Kiskeszi, later Molnoskeszi) or with the working title Podhradská Kesa (Suburbana Kesa). This last Kesa but soon disappeared and probably in the late 13th century or early 14th century fused with Bánovská Kesa. A calculation of settlements in surroundings of Bánov in Zobor Charter from 1113 suggests that the medieval settlement of its surroundings was once much more diverse than today. Reconstruction of the oldest medieval settlement surrounding Bánov is possible due to the initial information from Zobor Charter from 1113, in particular boundaries of its land area (metácia) in 1274, boundaries of individual components of Ňarhíd’s property complex from 1264, boundaries of Meger lands from 1274 and boundaries of Ďorok lands from 1214. It is clear that the northern neighbor of Bánov was Megered property that belonged to the Queen. Construction of St. Michael Archangel church in Bánov occurred in 11th or 12th century. The first written report, which is to be found in boundaries documentation, dates back to 1274. Another report about the church dates from the years 1332-1337 in the statement of papal tithes. In early modern times, Bánovská Kesa and Malá Kesa were joined to Šurany. From the above mentioned report on Bánovská Kesa in Zobor Charter from 1113 is obvious that during the 11th century there was a break-up of the Kesa property into three parts - Bánovská Kesa, north-situated Malá Kesa and one more Podhradská Kesa (suburbana Kezu) which ceased and merged with Bánovská Kesa. All three were named Kesa in the document from 1113. Belo IV gave it to the Štefan, son of the Gut from the Gutkeled (de Genere Guthkeled), for proved faithful and zealous services. Štefan from Gutkeled family died around 1272 without heirs and Bánovská Kesa fell to the king again. In 1274 the then Hungarian king Ladislav IV gave the vacant property (terram Kezw) to Štefan’s blood relative (cognatus) and Royal familiaris Apo, son of Benedict