Kratochvíle
Encyclopedia
Kratochvíle is a picturesque Renaissance
manorial residence surrounded by a park located in the south Bohemian
countryside, near Netolice
, Prachatice
district, Czech Republic
.
. It was designed in the style of the Roman
country villa and named Kratochvíle. The architect was the Italian Baldessare Maggi. The whole complex with an entrance wing, outline of fortifications, moat
and drawbridge
was built in the form of a slightly elongated rectangle, and the château was built on piles of marshy ground.
The small kaple Panny Marie (Chapel of Our Lady), in the southwest corner of the château gardens was built between 1584 and 1589. The glory days of the château ended when Petr Vok of Rožmberk
had to sell it to Emperor Rudolf II
in 1601 because of debts. The emperor gifted the château to the Eggenberks
and in 1719 it was acquired by the Schwarzenberks
. The international arrangement of the building to the layout of an Italian villa, with the open loggia
on the ground floor being replaced here by a large vaulted entrance hall, which corresponded to the area of the Great Hall on the first floor, is linked to the ground floor by a staircase. On both floors rooms of varying sizes are liked to these chambers.
On the ground floor they were partly of a functional nature and on the first floor they included the private apartments of the lord and lady, and the most grandiose room of the château, the Great Gold Hall where visitors were received and which is richly decorated, as are most of the other rooms, with stucco reliefs and murals based on classical mythology by Antonio Melana. During extensive restoration experts discovered five paintings depicting scenes from the life of Samson, in the adjoining Small Gold Hall.
In the 19th century the château was converted into apartments for the Schwartzenberk family and in 1950 the restoration work was carried out. Kratochvíle houses an exhibition of Czech puppet and animated films with original works by notable Czech producer Jiří Trnka
, Hermína Týrlová
and Karel Zeman
.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
manorial residence surrounded by a park located in the south Bohemian
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...
countryside, near Netolice
Netolice
Netolice is a town in the South Bohemian Region, the Czech Republic. It is located at around and has about 2,700 inhabitants.The village Petrův Dvůr is an administrative part of Netolice....
, Prachatice
Prachatice
Prachatice is a town in the South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic.-History:The town of Prachatice has its origins in the 11th century, following the beginning of trade on the "Golden Path"...
district, 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
The medieval moated fortified stronghold of 1569 was turned into a hunting lodge between 1583 and 1589 by Vilém of RožmberkHouse of Rosenberg
The Rosenberg family was the most significant and influential Bohemian noble family playing important role in Czech medieval history from 13th century till 1611...
. It was designed in the style of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
country villa and named Kratochvíle. The architect was the Italian Baldessare Maggi. The whole complex with an entrance wing, outline of fortifications, moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
and drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
was built in the form of a slightly elongated rectangle, and the château was built on piles of marshy ground.
The small kaple Panny Marie (Chapel of Our Lady), in the southwest corner of the château gardens was built between 1584 and 1589. The glory days of the château ended when Petr Vok of Rožmberk
House of Rosenberg
The Rosenberg family was the most significant and influential Bohemian noble family playing important role in Czech medieval history from 13th century till 1611...
had to sell it to Emperor Rudolf II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
in 1601 because of debts. The emperor gifted the château to the Eggenberks
House of Eggenberg
Eggenberg is the name of an Austrian noble family from Styria whose last male heir died in 1717 bringing an end to the House of Eggenberg.- History :The origin of the Austrian noble house of Eggenberg is shrouded in darkness...
and in 1719 it was acquired by the Schwarzenberks
House of Schwarzenberg
-History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in...
. The international arrangement of the building to the layout of an Italian villa, with the open loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
on the ground floor being replaced here by a large vaulted entrance hall, which corresponded to the area of the Great Hall on the first floor, is linked to the ground floor by a staircase. On both floors rooms of varying sizes are liked to these chambers.
On the ground floor they were partly of a functional nature and on the first floor they included the private apartments of the lord and lady, and the most grandiose room of the château, the Great Gold Hall where visitors were received and which is richly decorated, as are most of the other rooms, with stucco reliefs and murals based on classical mythology by Antonio Melana. During extensive restoration experts discovered five paintings depicting scenes from the life of Samson, in the adjoining Small Gold Hall.
In the 19th century the château was converted into apartments for the Schwartzenberk family and in 1950 the restoration work was carried out. Kratochvíle houses an exhibition of Czech puppet and animated films with original works by notable Czech producer Jiří Trnka
Jirí Trnka
Jiří Trnka was a Czech puppet maker, illustrator, motion-picture animator and film director. In addition to his extensive career as an illustrator, especially of children's books, he is best known for his work in animation with puppets, which began in 1946...
, Hermína Týrlová
Hermína Týrlová
Hermína Týrlová was a prominent Czech stage designer, animator, and film director. She was often called the mother of Czech animation. She was a close collaborator of Karel Zeman.-External links:**. [14-05-2003] Por Andrea Fajkusová*....
and Karel Zeman
Karel Zeman
Karel Zeman was a Czech film director, artist, production designer and animator. Because of his creative use of special effects and animation in his films, he has often been called the "Czech Méliès."-Life:...
.