Čechy pod Košířem (chateau)
To the north of Prostějov and to the west of Olomouc you will find the Velký Košíř nature park, at the edge of which lies Bohemia pod Košířem, a charming village in Haná. For almost two centuries, the local estate belonged to the Silva-Tarouca family, and it was its members who built an Empire chateau in this village, surrounded by a park.
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Interesting facts Čechy pod Košířem (chateau)
The first documented mention of this place dates back to the 14th century, which says that there was a Renaissance water fortress at that time, which was surrounded by two ponds. Surveys from later years showed that the fortress with a square floor plan stood approximately in the place of the current southern wing of the castle. The last chateau was owned by the Skrbenský family from Hříště, and at the beginning of the 18th century, under Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein, the building underwent a Baroque reconstruction and the appearance of a four-winged chateau.
The most important family that owned the chateau Čechy pod Košířem was Silva-Tarouca, originally an old Portuguese family. They bought it in 1768 and one of its members, Ervín Silva Tarouca, had the castle rebuilt in the Empire style. At the same time, a garden sallet and a lookout tower were built. Later, in 1852, also a pseudo-Gothic greenhouse, designed by Ignác Ullman.
Between 1846 and 1870, the painter Josef Mánes, a friend of the patriotic priest Bedřich Silva Tarouca, was inspired by the local environment and created more than a hundred works, such as the cycle Life at the Mansion or Honeymoon at Haná.
After the death of the last owner of the estate, František Arnošt, in 1949, the chateau Čechy pod Košířem of the Silva-Tarouca family was confiscated by the state. Until 2007, the chateau premises were used for the needs of a special school and children's home. At present, there is the Museum of the Prostějov region and the chateau is open to visitors and offers a view of the interiors with stucco decoration and also an exhibition focused on Josef Mánes, his stay and work here.
Part of the castle is the castle park, founded during the 70s of the 18th century. It includes an alley, water canals, flower nooks and in the 1930s its area was expanded and enriched with a network of waterways and two ponds. After the castle was rebuilt, small architectural objects and buildings worshiping the Romantic style were placed in the park. At this time, a neo-Gothic greenhouse was also built here, in which Josef Mánes also took part. This natural landscape park with a total area of 21 ha is architecturally, but also botanically very valuable and can be ranked among the most important buildings of its kind in Moravia.
Author: Andrea Štyndlová