zámek Lemberk Chateau

Lemberk Chateau is located three kilometres from Jablonny in Podzedědí, in the cadastral territory of Lvová, and belongs to the oldest noble buildings in Bohemia. The chateau was founded here in the first period of the 13th century by Havel z Lemberka, a member of the Markvartice family, to whom the sovereign gave it for his service. Havel became the founder of the House of Lemberg, founded several settlements here and built a chateau called Löwenberg around 1240 - according to a lion who also decorated his coat of arms. The name was brushed up over time and a younger chateau evolved from the medieval fortress.

The first documentary evidence of the existence of the chateau dates back to 1241 and 1244, a confirmation from 1249 when Havel z Lemberka uses the name of the chateau in his home. In the following centuries the chateau required purchase and ownership was the object of rich families. In 1430 it was acquired by the Berk family from Dubé, later various owners - Elsnics until 1510, lords from Donín and others. In 1518 Wilhelm bought the estate from Ilburk; At that time, the estate was described as desolate and four of the six villages were desolate. Gradually, the chateau was revived and its owners improved the economy.

After 1550 the chateau was radically rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau, with the original Gothic masonry being largely demolished. The reconstruction was initiated by Jindřich Berk from Dubé and a Baroque residence was created from the medieval fortress. A chateau wing was built in the Renaissance style, which the lords of Donín increased to the second floor in the early 17th century. Among other things, a richly decorated cassette ceiling in the hall called the Hall of Fables became a decoration. In 1634, the chateau was owned by an influential family of Bredas, which adapted it according to Italian and Dutch patterns and gradually expanded - the chapel of the Holy Spirit, the chivalry and other wings were added. Since 1726 it was owned by Clam-Gallas, a family created by the merger of the names of Count Philip Joseph from Gallas and his nephew Kristian Philip from Clam. This род kept the chateau until 1930 when his daughter Gabriel, married to Prince Adolf of Auersperg, inherited it after the death of his last male member Franz Clam-Gallas. In 1945, it was expropriated by the State on the basis of the Beneš Decrees.

The original chateau was best preserved by a cylindrical tower with a diameter of 8,5 metres, the only distinctive remnant of the bergfrit type. The tower has a polygonal external outline at the bottom, while the interior with a rhombus plan interferes above the round part. The basement of the tower remains inaccessible and lies 2.4 metres below the courtyard level; In the Baroque, the tower was encapsulated by a segment vault and the entrance to the outskirts was created directly from the courtyard.

Today, zámek Lemberk, together with the nearby Bredovsky summer chateau, has been protected as a national cultural monument since 2002. The National Monument Institute has the administration and is open to the public in visiting hours from April to October. The chateau is a testament to eight centuries of Czech history and represents the path of architecture from medieval defense to Renaissance hospitality.