Buchlovice Castle
Encyclopedia
Uherské Hradište
Uherské Hradiště is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on the Morava river and is the seat of the Uherské Hradiště District.- History :...
, in south-east Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Its history is closely connected with nearby Buchlov Castle which grew more and more uncomfortable in the late 17th century, and that is why Jan Dětřich of Petřwald decided to build a new castle. Buchlovice castle was built as a copy of an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
villa in baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style, by Domenico Martinelli
Domenico Martinelli
Domenico Martinelli was an Italian architect who worked for Carlo Fontana during 1678. He was an evident figure in the shaping of Baroque style in the North Alps. In 2010 a musical tribute called "Project Martinelli" was performed to him in Munich.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, Tuscany and...
. It is one of the most romantic buildings in this country. In 1800 it became property of the Berchtolds, and since 1945 the state castle is open to public.
History
The area around Buchlovice was inhabited as early as the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
, and the first written records of this district date from 1270. In 1540 Buchlovice became part of the estate of nearby Buchlov
Buchlov
The Buchlov castle is a royal castle that, along with Bare Hill and Saint Barbara’s Chapel, belongs to significant dominants of Chřiby mountains in Moravian Slovakia, which is a region in south-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic.-History:The castle was built approximately in the first part of the...
castle. This medieval fortress, which did not meet the increasing demands for a comfortable and prestigious residence, ceased to suit its owners, who decided at the beginning of the 18th century to replace it with the grandiose château in Buchlovice. Jan Dětrích of Petřvald had the chateau built according to the proposals of Italian architect Domenico Martinelli
Domenico Martinelli
Domenico Martinelli was an Italian architect who worked for Carlo Fontana during 1678. He was an evident figure in the shaping of Baroque style in the North Alps. In 2010 a musical tribute called "Project Martinelli" was performed to him in Munich.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, Tuscany and...
between 1707 and 1738.
The château complex is made up the ceremonial building known as the Dolní zámek (Upper Château), and the building known as Horní zámek (Lower Château), which had a service function. A courtyard of honour extends between the two. Around the château an Italian-style park was created, which was extended and altered in the English style in the first half of the 19th century and is among the most valuable of its kind in the Czech Republic. After the Petřvald dynasty died out the château was acquired in 1763 by the Berchtolds. In 1805 Leopold Berchtold established a military hospital in part of the château and a drapery
Drapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles . It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothing, formerly conducted by drapers.In art history, drapery refers to any cloth or...
in the stables. The château is open to the public and visitors can admire the state rooms, and chambers with rich stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
work and painted ceilings.