Čestice is a market town in

Strakonice District Strakonice District () is a district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Strakonice. Administrative division Strakonice District is divided into three administrative districts of municipalities with ext ...

in the

South Bohemian Region The South Bohemian Region () is an administrative unit (''Regions of the Czech Republic, kraj'') of the Czech Republic, located mostly in the southern part of its historical land of Bohemia, with a small part in southwestern Moravia. The western ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Administrative division

Čestice consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Čestice (571) *Doubravice u Volyně (81) *Krušlov (52) *Nahořany (90) *Nuzín (37) *Radešov (38) *Střídka (26)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Částa, meaning "the village of Částa's people".

Geography

Čestice is located about southwest of

Strakonice Strakonice (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Strakonice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Strakonice ...

and northwest of

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is the largest ...

. It lies in the Bohemian Forest Foothills. The highest point is the hill Vacovický vrch at above sea level. The Peklov stream flows through the municipality.

History

The first written mention of Čestice is in a deed of King Wenceslaus I from 1243. The village was probably founded in the mid-12th century. In 1908, Čestice was promoted to a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

Demographics

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

The Čestice Castle was built in the early Baroque style in the third quarter of the 17th century. It was built next to an old fortress, fragments of which have survived to this day. The castle is surrounded by a small landscape park. Today it is owned by the market town and houses the municipal office, social spaces, a small museum and a library. The Church of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist was originally a Romanesque-Gothic church from the beginning of the 13th century. In the 14th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. In 1819–1820 and 1843–1844, the church was rebuilt into its present form. Very valuable are the preserved elements from the original church, including the wall paintings from the 14th century. On the Kalvárie hill above the market town is a pilgrimage area. It consists of the centrally located Chapel of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows on the hillside, five other small chapels, and a hermitage. The area was probably founded in 1626, when there were built wooden chapels and crosses. In 1728, they were replaced by brick chapels. The Chapel of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built between the small Baroque chapels in 1820, in the Neoclassical style. The main landmark of Nahořany is the Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius. It was built in the pseudo-Baroque style in 1884. In Doubravice u Volyně is a two-storey tower from the 15th century. It is a remnant of a fortress, which was first documented in 1251. Although the residential part of the fortress was abandoned around 1500 and has not been preserved, the tower is a valuable document of a medieval seat of the lower nobility in the region.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cestice Populated places in Strakonice District Market towns in the Czech Republic