Buchlov (german: Buchlau) is a royal castle in Buchlovice in the

Zlín Region Zlín Region ( cs, Zlínský kraj; , ) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Moravia. It is named after its capital Zlín. Together with the Olomouc Region it fo ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

It is located on an eponymous hill with an elevation of within the Chřiby mountain range.

History

The castle was built approximately in the first part of the 13th century, but archaeological finds suggest that the area around Buchlov was settled in the oldest periods of civilization. The function of the castle was defensive, agricultural and administrative as well. The first form of the castle had a similar ground-plan as buildings of that era. It was created by two massive prismatic towers situated on opposite parts of a rocky plateau. A high palace on the southern part of the yard was built at the same time and it was surrounded by a wall. The second construction period occurred in the 1370s. Another tower was built and on the second floor of this tower there was a chapel that held the most valuable objects of early

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. I ...

of the day. There is an opinion that a model for this chapel was one of French royal chapels. Unfortunately, during later capturing of Buchlov Castle by armies of Hungarian king

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...

in the second half of the 15th century, the chapel was destroyed to the point that it was abandoned. It was replaced by two large rooms serving as store and depository. And although the castle was a permanent possession of a king until the 16th century, it was often given in pawn to aristocratic clans. Nobles of Cimburk owned it at the end of the 15th century. At that time a representative chivalric hall was built. In the year 1511 the castle was given to a private holder, and from the 16th to 18th century various Moravian clans changed its ownership. The most important were the nobles of Žerotín, Zástřizl and Petřvald. Constructional work continued in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

style. Some parts of the castle were added in Baroque style. However, in 1701, the Buchlovice Castle was finished and in 1751 the owners, the Berchtold noble family, occupied it for more than two centuries. A family museum was built in the castle thanks to the brothers

Leopold Berchtold Leopold Anton Johann Sigismund Josef Korsinus Ferdinand Graf Berchtold von und zu Ungarschitz, Frättling und Püllütz ( hu, Gróf Berchtold Lipót, cs, Leopold hrabě Berchtold z Uherčic) (18 April 1863 – 21 November 1942) was an Austro-Hu ...

and Bedřich Berchtold. Leopold Berchtold, who was foreign minister of Austria-Hungary at the beginning of World War I. He was buried at Buchlau after his death in November 1942. In 1945, after the end of World War II, the castle was confiscated on the basis of the

Beneš decrees The Beneš decrees, sk, Dekréty prezidenta republiky) and the Constitutional Decrees of the President of the Republic ( cz, Ústavní dekrety presidenta republiky, sk, Ústavné dekréty prezidenta republiky) were a series of laws drafted by t ...

and became property of the Czechoslovak state. Later it was added to the list of national cultural monuments. Nowadays it is open to public, and many cultural programs are held each year.

Chapel of Saint Barbara

Chapel of Saint Barbara was built in the 13th century, and it was used as a funeral crypt for holders of a manor of Buchlov. Later it was rebuilt and finished in the year 1672. It is built in early baroque style on a cruciform plan with a central

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, fr ...

. It is one kilometre east from Buchlov. Pilgrimage divine services are held to this day.

Resources

* Žižlavský, Bořek (2006), ''Buchlov: historie a příběhy hradu.''

Gallery

Buchlov castle 01.jpg Buchlov castle 02.jpg Buchlov castle 11.jpg Buchlov castle 12.jpg

External links

* * (by

Albert Henry Wratislaw Albert Henry Wratislaw (5 November 1822 – 3 November 1892) was an English clergyman and Slavonic scholar of Czech descent. Early life Albert Henry Wratislaw was born 5 November 1822 in Rugby, the eldest son of William Ferdinand Wratislaw (178 ...

) {{Authority control Uherské Hradiště District Castles in the Zlín Region Museums in the Zlín Region Historic house museums in the Czech Republic National Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic