Cesky Sternberk Castle in the Czech Republic
Rating: 7,6/10 ( votes)  The Cesky Sternberg Castle is a huge palace located in the very center of the Czech Republic, near the town of Benesov. The founder of the castle was Zdeslavius from the Divisov family in 1241, after which the castle was originally named. Then the name was changed to Sternberg. The word"stern", translated from German means"star" - the Divisov family had a star on the coat of arms, and the word"berg" means"hill". Later, the family began to be called by the name of their castle. Cesky Sternberg Castle was built on a rock, over the Sazava River, and originally had a Gothic style. In the XIV-XV centuries, Sternberg was a defensive fortification, protected from the north and south by two powerful towers. During the Hussite wars, the owner of the castle was Zdenek from Sternberk, who was an opponent of King Yiji and openly opposed him. Subsequently, the castle was captured and plundered by the king's troops. Over time, during the restoration work, a new tower was added to the castle, due to which the defensive system of the castle was improved. The castle moat was also deepened. In the 18th century, under the influence of fashion, the castle was rebuilt and acquired a Baroque style. The interior of the castle was decorated with paintings and stuccoes by the Italian master Carl Brentan. Particularly noteworthy are the baroque paintings of the Golden and Knight's Salons. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the castle was reconstructed in the style of romanticism again. The project manager was the Viennese architect K. Kaiser. At the same time, a beautiful park was laid out around the castle. In 1949 Sternberg became the property of the Czechoslovak Republic, and in 1992 it returned to the owners of the Sternberk clan. In the summer, interesting excursions around the castle are organized for tourists. Today it houses a large collection of paintings by Dutch and Italian masters, a collection of prints from the 17th century, a collection of antique clocks, historical weapons of the 17th - 18th centuries, as well as porcelain products, Rococo furniture, hunting trophies, books and silverware. In the immediate vicinity of the castle is Gladomorna - a protruding southern bastion. Gladomorna was built in the 15th - 16th centuries and is part of a complex fortification system. The bastion was built to protect the southern hill. The tower has three floors: the upper one represents an observation deck, the middle one has a system of loopholes intended for light weapons, the lower one served as a warehouse for storing gunpowder and food.     We also recommend reading Valtice Castle in the Czech Republic Topic: Cesky Sternberk Castle in the Czech Republic. |
