Pacov (; german: Patzau) is a town in

Pelhřimov District Pelhřimov District ( cs, okres Pelhřimov) is a district in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Pelhřimov. Administrative division Pelhřimov District is divided into three administrative districts of municip ...

in the

Vysočina Region The Vysočina Region (; cs, Kraj Vysočina "Highlands Region", , ) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located partly in the south-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia and partly in the south-west of the his ...

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 has about 4,600 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

Villages of Bedřichov, Jetřichovec, Roučkovice, Velká Rovná and Zhoř are administrative parts of Pacov.

Geography

Pacov is located about west of

Pelhřimov Pelhřimov (german: Pilgrams) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The ...

. It lies directly on the

15th meridian east The meridian 15° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole. The 15th meridian east forms a grea ...

. The town lies in the

Křemešník Highlands Křemešník is a mountain in the municipality of Nový Rychnov in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. The mountain lies near the town of Pelhřimov and is part of Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. With an elevation of above sea level, it is t ...

. The area is rich on small ponds.

History

The first written mention of Pacov is from 1316. The settlement was probably founded in the late 13th century. Pacov flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries. During this period, it obtained the town rights. The development ended with the

Battle of White Mountain ), near Prague, Bohemian Confederation(present-day Czech Republic) , coordinates = , territory = , result = Imperial-Spanish victory , status = , combatants_header = , combatant1 = Catholic L ...

and

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...

. The second period of prosperity occurred in the 19th century. The foundations were laid for the current industry: food machinery industry and leather accessories manufacture. In 1888, the railway was built, which helped further expansion.

Demographics

Sport

Since 1906, there is a historical motorcycle racecourse in Pacov. The first international race in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(and the third world-wide) took place here. The Pacov Circuit is still being used to this day.

Sights

Pacov has preserved historic centre with several valuable houses, including the former town hall from 1921–1923. Pacov Château was originally a Gothic castle from the 12th century, rebuilt into a château in the 16th century. In 1718, it was rebuilt into a monastery. After the monastery was abolished by the reform of

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 u ...

in 1787, it was rebuilt to a château again. Today it houses the municipal office, tourist information centre, library and Antonín Sova Town Museum. The château complex includes a castle park with three ponds. The deanery Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is a Gothic church from the late 14th century. Despite several reconstructions and repairs, its appearance has been roughly preserved. The Church of Saint Wenceslaus is a Baroque building from 1719, originally built as the monastery church. After it was damaged by fire in 1727, it was reconstructed in 1732. Nowadays it serves as a gallery. The Jewish community is reminded by the Jewish cemetery and former synagogue. The cemetery was founded in 1680 and the oldest tombs are from the 18th century. The synagogue building is privately owned and closed to the public.

Notable people

* Antonín Sova (1864–1928), poet * Jan Autengruber (1887–1920), painter * Jiří Němec (born 1966), footballer

Twin towns – sister cities

Pacov is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Arni Arni may refer to: Municipalities * Arni, Tiruvannamalai, a town in Tamil Nadu, India * Arni, Maharashtra, in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra State, India * Arni, Karditsa, a municipality in the Karditsa regional unit, Greece * Arni, Aargau, a munic ...

, Switzerland

References

External links

*
Stražiště Microregion
{{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Pelhřimov District