Villages already existed on the territory of the present city since the Árpád era, but as their houses were not built of stone, they often disappeared without a trace, and only archaeological excavations can reveal their remains. Their memory is preserved through place names.

Thus, Lake Deseda bears the name of the ancient Desida, Kecelhegy the name of the ancient Kecel, Ivánfa Hill the name of the ancient Ivánfalva, Zaranyi Forest the name of the ancient Zarany, Nádasdi Street the name of the ancient Nádasd and Kaposfüred the name of the ancient Füred.

The name of Omak, which may have been the village closest to the centre of Kaposvár, has not survived.

Benedictine Abbey of Szentjakab

The Benedictine Abbey of Szentjakab, with its well-preserved walls and valuable stone carvings, is the most important monument of national importance in the Kaposvár region.

The monastery is strategically located on a prominent hill overlooking the Kapos Valley. The text of the founding charter has been preserved in later documents, from which we know that the monastery used to stand on the site of a church dedicated to St. James, the remains of which were identified during an archaeological excavation in 2014.

The monastery was founded in 1061 by Otto, son of Győr, palatine of Hungary. To the best of our knowledge, it is the earliest privately founded monastery in Hungary, i.e. not founded by the king.

The consecration of the abbey in 1067 was such a great event that it was commemorated in the Chronicum Pictum (Illuminated Chronicle). King Solomon and Prince Géza (later King Géza I) and their illustrious entourage attended the ceremony at the request of the founder, who is mentioned in the chronicle as palatine Atha.

The monastery was richly endowed and in the Middle Ages it was one of the most important Benedictine abbeys in South Transdanubia. In 1392 it was granted a papal dispensation. The church was later refurbished and given a Gothic vault. The Gothic monastery was built on the old monastery buildings, with a beautiful vaulted cloister corridor.

The abbey flourished until the Ottoman period, when the conquerors occupied the complex, which had been converted into a fortress, in 1555.