Beztahov Castle

Beztahov is located in a village near Votic in the Benešov district. It is assumed that the mansion in the village existed already in the 14th century, but the preserved masonry dates back to the following period. This fortress is partly reflected in the history of the Czech countries through members of the Beztahov family who inhabited it and left a name behind in the landscape.

The first written mention of Beztahov dates back to 1372 when Hroch z Beztahova was based here. Hippo held the position of Purkrabi on a fortress in the Animals and his legal services were also used by Oldřich I. z Rožmberka - this meant that it was a man of influence, at least in small nobility. The habit of carrying a home from Beztahova has stopped faster than expected. The oldest architectural details in the masonry belong to the 15th century and the first mention of the fort itself is from 1534 when it was divided by Jan Kozel z Kozle and Lev Beztahovský z Říčan. The property was reunited in the hands of John the Elder of the Roman, followed by the son of Nicholas the deceased in 1591. His son Vilém Lev z Říčan. But he could not afford his loyalty to the uprising of states between 1618 and 1620 - his property was confiscated.

The fate of the fort was definitely broken in 1623 when Sezima z Vrtby bought it and joined it to the larger estate of Vrchot Janovice. From now on, the Beztahov fortress has ceased to serve as a mansion and has been used only for economic purposes. It has been reduced to a function that many visitors do not realize today.

The preserved construction form consists mainly of a fortress defended by the remains of a ditch of approximately two thirds of the length of the perimeter. Only the ground floor of the economic building was preserved from the old fort, above which the first floor was built in recent times. A characteristic element is the massive perimeter wall defining the two-track ground floor, which ends on the west side with supporting pillars on both sides. The room in the north wing is divided by a cross and encapsulated with a vaulted vault. Below the north part of the building there is a system of cellars which indicates a certain administrative seriousness of the building.

Since 1965 Beztahov has been protected as a cultural monument. However, it is currently in a state of emergency as recorded in the National Heritage Institute Memorial Catalogue in July 2023. Despite all the shortcomings, the fortress retains an undeniable piece of the story of the Czech nobility and its gradual transformation into a modern era.