zámek Kněžice (Petrovice u Sušice) Chateau

The Priestess Chateau is located in the northern part of the village Petrovice u Sušice in the district of Klatovy and is a shining example of how property changes over centuries. The village itself has existed as part of the Velhartic estate since the Middle Ages, but it didn't reach its decisive shape until the late Renaissance.

In the 1990s, a fortress was established, a fortified mansion, which was not intended for eternity. In the first half of the 18th century, the owners converted it into a Baroque chateau with a valba roof, which has acquired the character that we recognize to date. Over the next six hundred years, eleven noble families were included, including the Czech Hubatius (Hubáček) and the Knights of Kotnov. Their government lasted a long time and the property grew.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the estate had reached a respectable size of a thousand seventy-one hectares. Over the next decade, the chateau has undergone the most extensive modification of its newer history. The project was processed by renowned Silesian architect Leopold Bauer in 1906 to order the owner of Oskar Heintschel von Heinegge. The chateau also joined the modern network - from the adjacent village Vojetice the electric current was introduced into the building, brand of modernization at the time.

But economic prosperity has been interrupted by the economic crisis. The following owners got into financial difficulties, and since 1929 the estate has been gradually parked and sold to farmers and industrial enterprises. Similarly, it was cyclical decades after World War II - the chateau was nationalized in 1945 and Petrovice never managed to get it back into possession. From 1955 until 2002, the building served as a retirement home, a function that at least protected it from disintegration.

The current fate of the object is a twist that would surprise its middle owners. In 2003 it was purchased by a foreign company that converted it into a restaurant and hotel. The operation started in 2004. The chateau was also of small glory - the 6th and 7th series of TV series Yes, boss! However, the hotel closed one year after shooting; an indication of his other fate is unknown.

In the park north of the chateau grows the Pnežický klen, a memorable tree led under the number 102432, which became part of the list of protected natural elements. The visit to the Priest thus offers a link between the history of the building and the nature surrounding it.