Dačice (chateau)
In southern Bohemia, in the Jindřichův Hradec district, in the village of Dačice, we find a classicist chateau. However, you can visit two castles in the town, Starý and Nový, and both are associated with the aristocratic Krajíř family from Krajek, which owned Dačice in the 16th century. Nobles from this family first had the Old Castle built here, a Renaissance one, completed in 1579. However, we will focus on the New Castle, which was also Renaissance in its beginnings.
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Interesting facts Dačice (chateau)
The first mention of the New Chateau in Dačice is connected with the year 1591, when it is listed in the land registers as a new building. For its greater comfort, it was built here by Oldřich Krajíř and its builder was the Italian Francesco Garof de Bissone. We can find it on today's Havlíčkův náměstí, for which the chateau is undoubtedly the main landmark.
In 1728, the Dačice estate was bought by Heinrich Karl, Count of Ostein, and the chateau was newly equipped and, above all, rebuilt in the Baroque style. In 1713, a clock was set in the modified castle tower and a new kitchen was added to the castle.
The Empire modification of the chateau facade was started by Karl Anton Maximilian from Dalberg, whose family inherited the chateau in 1809. After the modifications, the façade is dominated by a central risalit with two pilasters and a triangular gable. Later, in the 1930s, the interiors of the Dačice chateau also underwent an Empire renovation, under the direction of architect Karel Schleps. A very successful work and a demonstration of Empire architecture is the staircase. At the time when the windows in the chateau were being replaced, the original Renaissance arcades were unveiled, and their arches were glazed. The Neo-Baroque chapel, which was built above the passage during these modifications, is the work of the architect Hans Prutscher, who also designed the Art Nouveau library.
The other owners of the Dačice chateau were the nobles of the Salm-Salm family, however, in 1945 this property was confiscated from them by the state. At present, the chateau in Dačice is managed by the National Monuments Institute.
Author: Andrea Štyndlová