Šrámkův statek Homestead

Welcome to Piletry. You have just stopped in front of a place that is like a living reflection of ancient times, which in today's rapidly changing world seems to be a distant dream. You are standing right in front of the Šračková farm and at this moment you are surrounded by an extraordinary atmosphere of folk art and craft. Look around you. In front of your eyes is a rare set of structures that we have managed to preserve for future generations. It is not just an ordinary building, it is a whole that carries the soul of the entire region. Feel the peaceful presence of wood and stone that will consume you immediately. This site is not just a monument, it is a testament to how people in the past lived in harmony with nature and how they could create beauty from the simple materials that the country offered them.

Let us now go back deep into the past together to understand how this place was created and why it is so important to us. The whole story of this place begins in the early nineteenth century. It was at that time, in the year one thousand eight hundred and two, that the main two-story grafted residential building was built, which now dominates the whole view. It was a period when folk architecture in our countries evolved into what we now consider to be the ultimate expression of tradition. Several years later, in the year one thousand eight hundred fourteen, another important element - a grafted barn - was added to the main house. With this, the whole of the farm began to expand and gain its present form.

The history of this place is not only about building, but about how ownership changed and how it cared for its survival. For decades, it has served as a home for individual families, but time has passed relentlessly. In the year one thousand nine hundred seventy six, this building was bought by the state, which was when many similar buildings began to disappear. Yet Shramek's estate was preserved. The real breakthrough occurred in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, when the farm was taken over by the statutory city Hradec Králové. Thanks to the fact that the city takes care of it, this resort can today serve as a place for cultural events, various exhibitions and folklore festivities that revive this place and bring joy and tradition to the surroundings.

Now pay attention to what you see right in front of you, and try to look at the details that make this beautiful. Notice the main residential building. It is a two-storey grafted building that looks very firm and elegant at the same time. If you look up above, you can see a stump that is so typical of this type of architecture. It's a place that once served to move between rooms and observe the surroundings. Now, try looking down to the very foundation of the house. Something absolutely extraordinary is happening here. The ground floor of the house combines two completely different worlds. On one side you can see the grafting, that is, the wooden beams that make up the walls, and on the other side, the irregular masonry made of opposites. The opaka, this bright and fragile stone, gives the house an unrepeatable appearance and shows how the artists of the past have been able to link the hardness of the stone to the warmth of the wood.

Then when you look further, you will see the grafted barn and, above all, the breathtaking triangular stone gate. The gate is not just an entrance, it is a symbol of the nobility and strength of the whole estate. It is precisely because of these elements, this combination of wood, stone and precision craft, that this complex is considered one of the few such well preserved units of its kind throughout the Royal Hradec.

But to fully understand the beauty of this place, we need to know who was behind it. The master's invisible hand is behind this whole building. The carpenter who breathed life into the wood and designed these structures was Master Vacha of Chernilov. This was a man who had to have not only tremendous strength, but above all incredible sensitivity for the material he worked with. Every incision, every clutch in these gouges bears the mark of his art. And we must not forget the people who lived here and who made this place famous. Names such as Jiří Šrámek or Václav Šrámek are closely linked to this property. Although their specific daily lives are not discussed in this short text, their presence in the history of this place reminds us that every building is basically just a vessel for human destinies, for the joy, effort and life stories of those who were before us.

You may be interested in one thing that makes this place truly precious. Imagine how many similar buildings in our region have already been destroyed, disintegrated or replaced by modern buildings. Šrámkův statek is like a small island in time. It's a rare complex that still holds its original structure - from the residential house to the barn to the gate. This continuity is now absolutely exceptional. It's like you found a rare flower in the woods that survived for hundreds of years in undisturbed condition. It is this integrity and how all parts complement each other that makes it a treasure that we must protect.

Now I won't keep you any longer. I hope this brief insight into the past has helped you better understand what you're seeing right now. Don't forget to look at the details again, the structure of the wood and the texture of the stone. Feel the atmosphere of this place, which is full of peace and history. Please continue the tour, explore the surroundings and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of this folk architecture. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant time to explore this extraordinary corner of our country. Goodbye.