Spilberk Castle in the Czech Republic, Brno resort
Rating: 7,9/10 (600 votes)  Spilperk Castle, located in Brno, today is one of the most popular sights of the city. The construction of the castle was carried out by order of the Czech King Premysl Otakar II in the XIII century. The castle was originally built as a fortress to defend the city and a royal residence. The castle was first mentioned in writing in 1277 as a fortress to defend Moravia from the south. The fortress survived the golden era during the time of the Luxembourgish margraves who ruled all of Moravia from here. In 1560, the fortress was acquired by the Moravian class, who, remembering the importance of the castle for Moravia, resold it to the city of Brno. Until 1621 Spilberk remained the property of the city, before it was confiscated for Brno's participation in the anti-Habsburg uprising. During the Hussite wars, the castle played an important role, showing itself as an impregnable fortress. At the end of the Thirty Years' War, Spilberk's finest hour came as a military facility. In 1645, the fortress was able to withstand an almost four-month siege of the Swedes, many times outnumbering the besieged in weapons and numbers. In 1783, by order of Emperor Joseph II, part of the fortress was turned into a prison. The casemates, formerly used as warehouses for war material, were perfectly suited for this purpose. At that time, the most difficult conditions were created for the prisoners. It was since then that Spilberk entered the history of Europe as the `` Prison of Nations ''. In 1809, a significant part of Spilberk's fortifications was destroyed by Napoleon's order, after which the fortress lost its former military significance. In 1820, the castle was completely transformed into a civil prison for especially dangerous criminals. Also, sometimes people were kept here who fought for the democratic rights and freedom of their countries and peoples. In the 18th century, French revolutionaries were serving time here, at the beginning of the 19th century – Italian patriots, and in the middle of the 19th century – participants of the Krakow uprising from Poland. From 1899 to 1959, the castle was a barracks. During the First World War, political prisoners were held in Spilberk. In 1960, the castle became the seat of the Brno Museum. In 1962, the fortress was declared a national cultural monument. Soon, reconstruction works were carried out in the castle, during which it turned into a rather expressive dominant of Brno. Exhibitions and expositions will acquaint visitors with the history of the city and the fortress. During the summer, cultural events, concerts and theater performances are held in the courtyards of the fortress.     We also recommend reading Church of Ayios Elias (Church of the Prophet Elias) in Cyprus, Protaras resort Topic: Spilberk Castle in the Czech Republic, Brno resort. |
