Litice Castle
Encyclopedia
Litice Castle is a castle 7 km west of Žamberk
in the Ústí nad Orlicí District
, in the Pardubice Region
of the Czech Republic
.
The steep slopes of the foothills of the Orlické hory
(Eagle Mountains) gave the advantage of a strategic position to the gothic castles being founded there at the close of the 13th century. The high headland around which flowed the Divoká Orlice
River was the site chosen just before the year 1300 by the Drslavic family to build up a castle which they named after their original family settlement in the Plzeň area. For a short span of time in the 14th century the Litice castle was owned by two Luxemburg rulers successively, John of Luxemburg and Charles IV
In 1371 Boček of Kunštát
, a Moravian noble, came with his family to settle at the castle. One branch of the family became naturalized in Bohemia
through marriage and the purchase of the Poděbrady
and Pardubice
estates.
The appearance of the oldest gothic castle was lost under the extensive construction work launched in 1450 by George of Poděbrady
, later King of Bohemia. The former gothic likeness can be distinguished only in the two-palace core of the castle, resembling similar architecture applied in the 14th century at Helfenberk and Menstein. The turbulent times following the Hussite wars
, rife with internal conflicts between alliances of the aristocrats fighting for power in the Kingdom of Bohemia, one of the strongest being the Utraquist party of Jiri of Podebrady, called for essential measures to safeguard this important castle. The reign of George of Poděbrady from 1458 brought peace and quiet to Bohemia for a short time. This was interrupted in the mid sixties of the 15th century by a war caused by the Papal Court
instigating the resistance of the local catholic nobility and then asking Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary
, to intervene.
This was the historical background to swift reconstruction of the castle and its fortifications. The atmosphere of the times and the prevalent bourgeois-aristocratic environment influenced the character of the architecture in the general concept of which the dying tradition of the 14th century can still be traced. This tradition was in conception and architecture practically outdated by 1450. The external system of fortifications, mostly still preserved, surprisingly shows the partial use of artillery when defending the castle. This was due, on the one hand, to the favourable layout of the terrain which reduced the need for elaborate fortifications and cannon bastions to a minimum and, on the other hand, it can be attributed to the generally rather obsolete concept.
The access road to Litice Castle was interrupted at its most vulnerable point by a wall and a deep moat crossed by a drawbridge. The entrance to the castle was through a tower gate built in one piece with the adjacent guardhouse. The front of the gate holds a significant place in Czech creative art. It is one of the few remaining specimens of the stonemason's art of the 1460s and, what is more, it is linked with the King Jin of Podebrady himself. The work as such and the setting of the reliefs show the low artistic standard of the sculptor who belonged to the town's stone - masons' workshops. The relief over the small gate for pedestrians carries a helmet set with a jewel and four coats-of-arms-those of Bohemia
, Moravia
, Upper Lusatia
and Podebrady
- and an inscription: "This tower was built during the reign of His Royal Highness King Jiri of Bohemia and Margrave of Moravia in 1468." The text dates the completion of the gate and most likely of the whole Podebrady era of reconstruction. The figural reliefs on the left side of the gate represent Jiri of Podebrady with a ribbon across his chest, a human mask in the bottom part and in a niche above the king a figure of a builder carrying a hammer.
The gate itself was protected by a rectangular bastion, the broken line of corner fortifications and, together with another circular bastion beneath the inner castle, they served chiefly for the use of the artillery as it is testified by the still existing embrasures, typical of the Podebrady-type structures. Preserved to the present time is the southern wing of the castle with its slim, square tower. The halls of the palace, which can be approached from the courtyard over the drawbridge which takes you to the first floor, were illuminated by tall windows with window seats. The residential rooms on the second floor had windows facing the outside of the castle as well. The most notable architecture at Litice is the tower. Its higher artistic value is evident from the remarkable portals giving access from the palace and the vaulting at the different floor levels.
The estate, heavily in debt, was purchased from the sons of Jiri of Podebrady by Vilem of Pernstein who linked it to nearby Potštejn to where he transferred the administrative centre. The importance of the castle started to decline and, because subsequent owners did not pay due attention to its upkeep either, it slowly fell into ruin. From 1562 Litice was owned by the lords of Bubno (z Bubna). The 19th century witnessed the rapid disintegration of some of the castle structures. Repair work in the years 1890 to 1894 and then in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century stabilized the southern palace and the tower which then received its present gallery and roofing. The condition of the whole building further deteriorated in subsequent decades until the new owner, the State, instituted measures to stabilize the structure and to restore the palace and its foundations.
Žamberk
Žamberk is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,100 inhabitants.-Museums and Historic Sites:* Municipal Museum – Československé armády 472* House of Prokop Diviš – Helvíkovice 326* Litice - ancient castle...
in the Ústí nad Orlicí District
Ústí nad Orlicí District
Ústí nad Orlicí District is a district within Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is city Ústí nad Orlicí. The district has borders with Pardubice District to the west, Svitavy District to the south and Chrudim District to the southwest.-External links:*...
, in the Pardubice Region
Pardubice Region
Pardubice Region is an administrative unit of the Czech Republic, located mainly in the eastern part of its historical region of Bohemia, with a small part in northwestern Moravia. It is named after its capital Pardubice. "There are a total of 452 municipalities in the region...
of the 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....
.
History
Orlické hory
The Orlické Mountains ) are a mountain range located mainly in northeastern Bohemia in Czech Republic, forming a subgroup of the Central Sudetes. They follow the border with Klodzko Land in Poland for 25 miles . The mountains are mainly composed of crystalline rocks, consistent with the makeup of...
(Eagle Mountains) gave the advantage of a strategic position to the gothic castles being founded there at the close of the 13th century. The high headland around which flowed the Divoká Orlice
Divoká Orlice
Divoká Orlice is a river in the Sudetes, separating the Bystrzyckie Mountains and Orlické Mountains. It is one of the main tributaries of the Orlice River, and is a part of Elbe river basin. It has its sources in Poland and then forms the border between Poland and the Czech Republic for...
River was the site chosen just before the year 1300 by the Drslavic family to build up a castle which they named after their original family settlement in the Plzeň area. For a short span of time in the 14th century the Litice castle was owned by two Luxemburg rulers successively, John of Luxemburg and Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
In 1371 Boček of Kunštát
Kunštát
Kunštát is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 2,600 inhabitants.Villages Hluboké u Kunštátu, Rudka, Sychotín, Touboř and Újezd are administrative parts of Kunštát....
, a Moravian noble, came with his family to settle at the castle. One branch of the family became naturalized in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
through marriage and the purchase of the Poděbrady
Podebrady
Poděbrady is a historical spa town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies on the river Labe 50 km east of Prague on the D11 highway. A historic milestone in the life of the town was the year 1905, when it was visited by the German estate owner Prince von Bülow...
and Pardubice
Pardubice
Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
estates.
The appearance of the oldest gothic castle was lost under the extensive construction work launched in 1450 by George of Poděbrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
, later King of Bohemia. The former gothic likeness can be distinguished only in the two-palace core of the castle, resembling similar architecture applied in the 14th century at Helfenberk and Menstein. The turbulent times following the Hussite wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
, rife with internal conflicts between alliances of the aristocrats fighting for power in the Kingdom of Bohemia, one of the strongest being the Utraquist party of Jiri of Podebrady, called for essential measures to safeguard this important castle. The reign of George of Poděbrady from 1458 brought peace and quiet to Bohemia for a short time. This was interrupted in the mid sixties of the 15th century by a war caused by the Papal Court
Papal court
The Papal Household or Pontifical Household , called until 1968 the Papal Court , consists of dignitaries who assist the Pope in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character....
instigating the resistance of the local catholic nobility and then asking Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
, to intervene.
This was the historical background to swift reconstruction of the castle and its fortifications. The atmosphere of the times and the prevalent bourgeois-aristocratic environment influenced the character of the architecture in the general concept of which the dying tradition of the 14th century can still be traced. This tradition was in conception and architecture practically outdated by 1450. The external system of fortifications, mostly still preserved, surprisingly shows the partial use of artillery when defending the castle. This was due, on the one hand, to the favourable layout of the terrain which reduced the need for elaborate fortifications and cannon bastions to a minimum and, on the other hand, it can be attributed to the generally rather obsolete concept.
The access road to Litice Castle was interrupted at its most vulnerable point by a wall and a deep moat crossed by a drawbridge. The entrance to the castle was through a tower gate built in one piece with the adjacent guardhouse. The front of the gate holds a significant place in Czech creative art. It is one of the few remaining specimens of the stonemason's art of the 1460s and, what is more, it is linked with the King Jin of Podebrady himself. The work as such and the setting of the reliefs show the low artistic standard of the sculptor who belonged to the town's stone - masons' workshops. The relief over the small gate for pedestrians carries a helmet set with a jewel and four coats-of-arms-those of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, 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...
, Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
and Podebrady
Podebrady
Poděbrady is a historical spa town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies on the river Labe 50 km east of Prague on the D11 highway. A historic milestone in the life of the town was the year 1905, when it was visited by the German estate owner Prince von Bülow...
- and an inscription: "This tower was built during the reign of His Royal Highness King Jiri of Bohemia and Margrave of Moravia in 1468." The text dates the completion of the gate and most likely of the whole Podebrady era of reconstruction. The figural reliefs on the left side of the gate represent Jiri of Podebrady with a ribbon across his chest, a human mask in the bottom part and in a niche above the king a figure of a builder carrying a hammer.
The gate itself was protected by a rectangular bastion, the broken line of corner fortifications and, together with another circular bastion beneath the inner castle, they served chiefly for the use of the artillery as it is testified by the still existing embrasures, typical of the Podebrady-type structures. Preserved to the present time is the southern wing of the castle with its slim, square tower. The halls of the palace, which can be approached from the courtyard over the drawbridge which takes you to the first floor, were illuminated by tall windows with window seats. The residential rooms on the second floor had windows facing the outside of the castle as well. The most notable architecture at Litice is the tower. Its higher artistic value is evident from the remarkable portals giving access from the palace and the vaulting at the different floor levels.
The estate, heavily in debt, was purchased from the sons of Jiri of Podebrady by Vilem of Pernstein who linked it to nearby Potštejn to where he transferred the administrative centre. The importance of the castle started to decline and, because subsequent owners did not pay due attention to its upkeep either, it slowly fell into ruin. From 1562 Litice was owned by the lords of Bubno (z Bubna). The 19th century witnessed the rapid disintegration of some of the castle structures. Repair work in the years 1890 to 1894 and then in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century stabilized the southern palace and the tower which then received its present gallery and roofing. The condition of the whole building further deteriorated in subsequent decades until the new owner, the State, instituted measures to stabilize the structure and to restore the palace and its foundations.