Zámek Chotěboř Castle

Zámek Chotěboř is located on the north edge of the city of Chotěboř in the district of Havlíčkův Brod, approximately 14 kilometres northeast of Havlickov Brod. It is an early Baroque building from the beginning of the eighteenth century, which has been declared a cultural monument since 1963.

The city of Chotěboř was first mentioned in 1265 and its importance increased in the 14th century. In 1329 he was bought by King Jan Lucemburský and in 1331 he was promoted to city. In the place of the current castle, it is assumed that in the second half of the 14th century a Gothic fortress was built, which is confirmed by archaeological surveys. In the middle of the seventeenth century, the fortress gradually desolate and was probably destroyed by the fire of 1692. The renewal brought about the change of owner: in 1698 the estate acquired rod Kinských. He built a new early Baroque castle with the chapel of the Holy Trinity on the foundations of the old fortress from 1701 to 1702.

The fatal change in the history of the castle came in 1836 when Jan Josef Dobrzenský married Maria Wanczur from Rzehnic to the estate. Since then it has been owned by the Dobřenský family, except for the years 1948 to 1992. In the 19th century the castle had extensive modernization: in 1865-1870 a new Renaissance reconstruction of part of the first floor was carried out, in 1870-1875 an English landscape park was established. After the fire in 1927 the castle was reconstructed and acquired a characteristic bell above the north wing. In 1948 Jan Maximilian emigrated with his family and the castle was taken over by the state. Since 1952, the City Museum has been based there. In 1992 the castle was returned to the Dobřenský family and the museum continued until the end of 2019.

Architecturally, it's a four-story four-story building with a mansard roof. The north facade is nine-axis with central risalite in which the passage to the arcade courtyard is located. From the south side there is a terrace with a two-arm staircase equipped with a balustrade to the garden. The Castle Chapel of the Holy Trinity in the East Wing preserved its Baroque character with a portal, fresco and stucco decoration from the 18th century. The same wing contains Gothic cellars from the old fort.

The castle is surrounded by a landscape park of approximately 15 hectares with two ponds and a lime alley. In the park there are protected sculptures: Classicist tombstone from 1813, sandstone fountain from the first half of the 19th century, Baroque statue of St. John Nepomuk from 1720 and statue of St. Elizabeth Durynská from sculptor Jan Kalous. A classic one-storey building called a castle is part of the complex.

Zámek Chotěboř represents a valuable example of baroque architecture growing from Gothic foundations. Its rich history, architectural elements from different periods and collection of sculptures make it a significant piece of Czech cultural heritage.