The Ronovci (also Hronovci or Ronovici) were one of the oldest and most important Czech noble families. The first reports of their existence date from the end of the 12th century and are associated with Tuhány, central Bohemia and later with Bautzen, Zittau and northern Bohemia, especially ÃÂeská LÃÂpa region. Over time, the family grew into many branches, e.g. , Berka of Dubá, , , etc.
The oldest known member of the family at the end of the 12th century was Smil SvÃÂtlÃÂk from Tuháà Â. However, it is not documented whether it is Tuhaà Â, located approximately 4.5 km west from Dubá in ÃÂeská LÃÂpa District, or Tuhaà  in Slaný, which is now in the territory of Kladno-à  vermov. The opinions of historians starting with Frantià ¡ek Palacký differ. At the beginning of the 13th century, Smil held Vojnica near Libochovice. He and his sons Jindà Âich and ÃÂastolov are mentioned in the years 1200âÂÂ1227 as owners of various settlements in the northern part of today's central Bohemia, e.g. Lovosice, Klapý, Libochovice. Smil died sometime around 1216.
ÃÂastolov was listed as the son of Smil for the first time in 1216, while 10 years later he is listed as the highest hunter (Czech: nejvyà ¡à ¡Ã lovÃÂÃÂ). Jindà Âich, the second and younger of the sons, was mentioned for the first time (along with his brother) in 1219 as a witness to a document of Ottokar I of Bohemia for the monastery in Plasy. In 1232, he became a castellan at the royal castle of Bautzen, where he remained until 1237. Together with his brother ÃÂastolov and with the help of the Czech king Wenceslaus I, they acquired the territory of Zittau and after 1238 are mentioned in documents with the surname de Sitavia ("from Zittau"). The brothers managed to acquire a large piece of territory stretching from Pirna to the foothills of the Lusatian Mountains up to ÃÂeská LÃÂpa, which became the family's power base.
Apparently, they chose their name in Zittau, in the Lusatian Neisse valley, today in Polish territory. The eponymous Ronov Castle in the south of ÃÂeská LÃÂpa was built almost 150 years later, at the end of the 14th century. The people of Ronov also gave the name Ronov to other castles they built.
In the period from 1248 to 1249, there was an uprising of Ottokar II of Bohemia against King Wenceslaus I. For personal assistance to the king during his campaign to Prague in August 1249, the two Ronovcis acquired other estates after helping to suppress the rebellion, e.g. Lichtenburk (Lichnice) castle in eastern Bohemia.
Jindà Âich's son Smil obtained the post of burgrave in Prague, and continued to use the surname de Sitavia. Shortly after 1240, he married , sister of Saint Zdislava. After 1251, he used three surnames: from Zittau, from Lichtenburk and from Ronov, which he also acquired. The Ronovci family (Jindà Âich and son Smil â 1269) was exposed more in eastern than northern Bohemia after 1250, and they are then listed as the Lichtenburks.
Jindà Âich's brother - ÃÂastolov of Zittau also started a family. He had sons Jindà Âich (ancestor of the Berkas from Dubé), ÃÂastolov (younger, founder of the Klinà ¡tejn family) and the youngest Chvalo (built OjvÃÂn castle, founder of the ). With them and the court of the new king Pà Âemysl Otakar II he lived in Jablonné v Podjeà ¡tÃÂdàin 1250. All of them are mentioned in connection with Zittau in documents from 1249 to 1263. Elder ÃÂastolov of Zittau died shortly after 1253 and the property was gradually divided.
Under the pressure of King Ottokar II of Bohemia, all three sons left the Zittau region after 1263. It wasn't until 40 years later that a descendant of the Ronovci family, the rich feudal lord Jindà Âich of Lipá, returned here for a few years.
There were more ÃÂastolovs, Smils, Jindà Âichs and ÃÂeà Âks among the older Ronovcis and they used different surnames according to the estates they acquired. ÃÂastolov Jr. was often mentioned in documents as ÃÂenÃÂk, ÃÂenÃÂk of Zittau. Hynek is also referred to as Jindà Âich through the Latin transcription of the name. There are few surviving documents from that time, and it is difficult to distinguish which of the persons took part in the event, and researchers differ in their opinions.
Chval, the youngest mentioned, together with his son ÃÂenÃÂk, built the in ÃÂeská LÃÂpa in the period 1268âÂÂ1278. In 1257, ÃÂenÃÂk took part in the military campaign of the royal army of Ottokar II of Bohemia to Bavaria and distinguished himself at the Battle of Mühldorf. In the documents, ÃÂenÃÂk was also listed as ÃÂastolov from Frýdlant or from Ronov (Rohnau).
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Ronovci split into many separate lineages:
The common sign of all families deriving their origin from the Ronovci was crossed branches, most often black in a golden shield. The name of the family is also derived from branches (German ronne), so it is a so-called canting arms (on a phonetic basis). The individual families' coat of arms differed: the Lichtenburks and the lords of Lipá had a carp, the lords of Dubá wings with branches and other lines of their own sign. A number of legends were linked to their origin and coat of arms. According to one of them, the ancestor of the family named Hron was once caught and tied to a felled tree, according to another legend, they are descendants of the hunter Hovora, who saved Duke JaromÃÂr, when the people of Vrà ¡ov tied him to cut branches and tortured him. A member of the family is said to have won a carp in a coat of arms from Emperor Frederick Barbarossa for prowess in a tournament.