Mirotice () is a town in

Písek District Písek District () is a Okres, district in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Písek. Administrative division Písek District is divided into two Districts of the Czech Republic#Municipalities with extended ...

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 1,200 inhabitants. It is known as the birthplace of

Mikoláš Aleš Mikoláš Aleš (18 November 1852 – 10 July 1913) was a Czech painter. Aleš is estimated to have had over 5,000 published pictures; he painted for everything from magazines to playing cards to textbooks. His paintings were not publicized to ...

, who is one of the most important Czech painters.

Administrative division

Mirotice consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Mirotice (962) *Bořice (30) *Jarotice (11) *Lučkovice (47) *Obora u Radobytec (10) *Radobytce (58) *Rakovické Chalupy (3) *Stráž (19) *Strážovice (63)

Etymology

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

Geography

Mirotice is located about northwest of

Písek Písek (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 31,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the oldest bridge in the country. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument z ...

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 mostly in the

Benešov Uplands The Benešov Uplands or Benešov Hills () are uplands and a geomorphological mesoregion of the Czech Republic. It is located mostly in the Central Bohemian Region. It belongs to the largest mesoregions in the country. It is named after Benešov ...

, but it also extends into the

Tábor Uplands Tábor (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants, making it the second most populated town in the region. The town was founded by the Hussites in 1420. The historic town centre is well pres ...

in the south and east. The highest point is the Paračov hill at above sea level. The Lomnice River flows through the town. A notable body of water is the Pančár pond, located south of the town proper.

History

The first written mention of Mirotice is from 1254, when the Church of Saint Giles was documented. It was founded as a free royal town around the church. It was located on a trade route from

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Passau Passau (; ) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the ("City of Three Rivers"), as the river Danube is joined by the Inn (river), Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Passau's population is about 50,000, of whom ...

. Mirotice was damaged during the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...

in the first half of the 15th century. After the wars, it was acquired by the Lev of Rožmitál family. In 1544, the town became part of the Zvíkov estate. In 1562, Mirotice became an independent town and the town hall was built. Development was slowed down by a large fire in 1575. In 1611, Mirotice was badly damaged by the Passau army and again became a vassal town. Further destruction occurred as a result of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

between 1639 and 1648. In 1688, Mirotice was bought by the monastery in

Schlägl Schlägl is a town and a former municipality in Rohrbach District in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. On 1 May 2015 Schlägl municipality was merged with Aigen im Mühlkreis to form Aigen-Schlägl municipality. As of 1 January 2018, popul ...

and a new development of the town began. Mirotice benefited from its role as a transport hub until 1875, when a railway was built that did not go through the town. Mirotice ceased to be a town, but in 1998 the town title was returned to the municipality.

Demographics

Transport

The D4 motorway from Prague to Písek passes around the town.

Sights

The main landmark is the Church of Saint Giles. Originally it was built in the Romaneque style in the late 12th century or around 1200. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1694, then it was completely rebuilt in the pseudo-Romanesque style 1870–1872. Next to the church is a separate late Baroque bell tower. It was built 1753–1756, when it replaced an older wooden building from 1670. It is among the most valuable late Baroque bell towers in the country. The birth house of

, who is the most famous local native, burned down in 1907. Today a replica from 1937 stands in its place, which houses the Monument to Mikoláš Aleš and

Matěj Kopecký Matěj Kopecký (24 February 1775, probably in Libčany – 3 July 1847 in Koloděje nad Lužnicí) was a Czech puppeteer. For six generations his descendants followed the art of puppeteering. Kopecký's father was a poor travelling puppeteer ...

Notable people

* Benedikt Schack (1758–1826), composer and operatic tenor *

(1775–1847), puppeteer, lived here * Alexander Seik (1824–1905), photographer *

(1852–1913), painter

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mirotice Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Písek District Prácheňsko