Castle - Zvíkov, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 49° 26.253 E 014° 11.589
33U E 441504 N 5476410
The Castle Zvíkov, often called "the king of Czech castles", is Gothic castle at the confluence Vltava and Otava River
Waymark Code: WM15GJW
Location: Jihočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 01/03/2022
Views: 16
When viewed from a distance, Zvíkov is characterised by three towers - the Black (formerly Hlízová) Tower, which belongs to the core of the castle, the Red Tower and the Hláska Tower, an outpost of the defensive tower. The most important building of the castle was the royal palace, which includes the precious castle chapel.
"The Castle Zvíkov stands on a difficult-to-access and steep promontory above the confluence of the Vltava and Otava rivers. The castle is one of the most important early-Gothic castles in Czech lands.
The area was inhabited as early as prehistoric times, when the Celts built a fort here in the 1st century AD. The current castle was built in the first half of the 13th century, most probably on the orders of King Ottokar I, but the exact date is not known. The first written mention of the castle comes from year 1234 and owned by the Kings of Bohemia.
Originally a small complex, the castle was continuously extended until 1278. After the Premyslid dynasty died out in 1306, Zvíkov became property of the Rosenberg family. After 1337 the settlement under the castle has been fortified, as a part of thorough repairs. Its fortifications were so strong that even the Hussites, during the Hussite Wars, besieged it for four months in 1429, but found it a tough nut to crack and failed to take it. To protect against heavy artillery its walls were further strengthened.
Although Emperor Charles IV placed it on a list of royal castles not to be pawned, his successors ignored his decree and by 1431 it was in the possession of the Rosenberg family. At the start of Thirty Years' War Zvíkov was owned by a rebellious Protestant nobleman whose garrison of 140 men successfully defended the castle against 4,000 Habsburg troops in 1618.[2] The defendants agreed to capitulate to the Emperor's forces only in October 1622. Subsequently, it was looted and devastated. During the 1640s the Schwambergs modified the palace and extended it in Renaissance style.
After the damaged inflicted by the war, Zvíkov was restored, but its glory was long gone and the castle served only for farming purposes. At the end of 17th century it ceased to have military value and was used as granary. The decline continued and in 1751 fire damaged a large part of the palace. In 1780 the chapel was deconsecrated. The facade of the palace collapsed in 1829 and between 1880 and 1902 the castle was reconstructed, only to be confiscated by the state in 1947."
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