Slavkov Castle (also known as Austerlitz Castle) is a Baroque palace in Slavkov u Brna in 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 ...

. The town and the castle are chiefly known for the

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz i ...

History

A first castle at the site was erected by the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

in the early 13th century, then the seat of a commandry within their Bohemian bailiwick. In the early 16th century it passed to the

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. Th ...

n noble house of Kaunitz who had it rebuilt in a

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. The present-day palace with 115 rooms was erected from 1696 onwards according to plans designed by the Italian architect

Domenico Martinelli Domenico Martinelli (November 30, 1650 – September 11, 1718) was an Italian architect who worked for Carlo Fontana during 1678. He was an evident figure in the shaping of Baroque style in the North Alps. In 2010 a musical tribute called "Projec ...

. The conversion was finished under Prince Wenzel Anton of Kaunitz-Rietberg more than fifty years later. Wenzel Anton hired the painter Joseph Pichler to apply frescoes in the chapel and the ceremonial hall of the castle. The impressive garden in a French style modelled on the

Gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles (french: Jardins du château de Versailles ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some ...

was laid out in 1774. In the oval ceremonial hall (the "Historic Salon"), an armistice was signed between

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

after the

on 6 December 1805. There is a small historic museum and a multimedia presentation about the battle.Wilkinson, Don (2009)
''Daytrips Prague and the Czech Republic: 57 One Day Adventures on Your Own and by Car''
Hastings House, p. 208.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Vyškov District Castles in the South Moravian Region Museums in the South Moravian Region Historic house museums in the Czech Republic National Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic