In the central part of the Czech Republic, on the banks of the Sazava River, there is a small place called Czech Sternberg. This historical region is famous for its castle, which for nearly 800 years has been rising from a cliff above a picturesque village. The majestic medieval palace was once erected as an impregnable defensive fortification. It always, except for the period of nationalization by the state from 1949 to 1992, belonged to one family of the Sternberk family, from which the castle and the village acquired their names. Visiting the impressive fortification with its 15 magnificent rooms, a collection of paintings, prints, watches, furniture and other antiques from different eras has long attracted tourists. Since the “hail” on the rock is the only attraction of this area, travelers most often combine excursions to the Český Sternberg castle and Kutná Hora, the road to which passes through the village.
Location
The castle (as the castle is designated in the Czech Republic) is built a little south of the village of Cesky Sternberk. The settlement itself is located near the city of Benesov, which is located 37 kilometers southeast of Prague. A railway line carried out in the village since 1901 made this historically valuable place accessible for tourism. The railway runs along the right bank of the Sazava River, and now there is a railway station in the town, and a railway station not far from the bridge. Cesky Sternberk - the final stop of bus routes from Vlasim and Prague. Five kilometers west of the village, the D1 highway (Exit 41) extends, and a less significant road passes through Cesky Sternberg to Kutná Hora, which successfully combines two excursions in one day.
Founders and owners of the castle
Sternberk’s noble family, one of the most influential in the Czech Republic, was founded at the beginning of the 12th century by Divisz, a combatant who served Prince Sobeslav I. His descendant Zdeslav from Divisov, who was in the royal office, founded two Sternberk castles - one from 1241 in the Czech Republic, the other in Moravia. Both cities received their name from a combination of German words: Stern is a star, since two golden eight-pointed stars appeared on the blue background of the genealogical coat of arms of Zdeslav, and berg is a hill, since castles were laid on significant elevations. After this, Zdeslav began to be called not “from Divishov”, but “from Sternberg”. The Czech castle gave the name to the village that arose near the cliff during the construction of the city, and the descendants of the noble family received the family name Sternberkov and the motto "Never fade away!". Since ancient times, local residents have called the “Star on the Mountain” the city rising above the town, thereby emphasizing the origin of its name.
The family has many famous, outstanding personalities who have left their mark on Czech history. By the XV century, the clan had reached its highest prosperity and power. In one of the fifteen castle halls on the wall, the Sternberk family tree is displayed, which can be seen during the tour. The park and all floors of the building are accessible for inspection, except the last one, where there are apartments of the family of Pan Zdenek Sternberg, the current owner of the castle.
Events of the 16th century
The city of Czech Sternberg for its long history did not particularly have to suffer from enemy attacks, because it was considered impregnable. But during the Hussite wars (1419 - 1434), the owner of the castle Zdeněk from Sternberk, openly opposed the rule of the Czech king Jiří from Podebrad, because of which the royal troops attacked the castle. The southern side of the fortification could not stand the cannon fire, and after a short siege, the Sternberk’s possession was seized and then plundered. The family escaped complete annihilation by the ruler only through the marriage of Jiří from Podebrad and the young Kungut from the Sternberk clan, who gave birth to the king of seven children. After the death of the monarch, the fortification system of the southern side of the castle was strengthened.
20th century events
During the years of Nazi occupation, Prince Sternberg refused to cooperate with the Germans. He expressed his protest by lowering the Gestapo officer from the stairs, after which, arming his servants, he disappeared with them in the mountains and joined the partisan movement. However, this did not prevent the Soviet counterintelligence from convicting the prince to imprisonment after the liberation of the Czech Republic, from which only the petition of the residents of Cesky Sternber saved. But his anti-fascist activity unexpectedly helped his descendants subsequently retain the rights to noble possessions.
Since 1949, all Sternberg castles have been nationalized. In 1990, the Czech government adopted a law of denationalization, which did not apply to persons who collaborated with the Nazis. Gradually, the Czech Sternberg, four more castles and other property returned to their original owners.
Architecture
Sternberg Castle was built on the principle of Gothic European castles, as a powerful defensive fortification. Unlike many similar structures, the structure does not have walls. The steep slopes of the rock, on top of which there is a castle, a river flowing below and a deep ravine made the castle impregnable. Defense was strengthened by two towers from the south and north. After the Hussite wars and the assault of the royal artillery, the castle fortification system was supplemented in the late XV – early XVI centuries. On the south side of the city, a pre-castle bastion, Gladomoria, was built, and a moat was deepened to protect the southern hill. With the development of firearms, medieval architecture became outdated, and the construction of a new tower increased the defenses of the castle. The southern side of Gladomorni, the most vulnerable to artillery shelling, is very pointed, because of which the cannonballs should not deliver a direct, crushing blow, but a moving one, causing the least damage.
In the XVIII century, under the influence of the baroque style that swept Europe, the castle was rebuilt according to the fashion of that time. The reconstruction mainly affected the interiors, which were decorated with paintings and stucco decorations by the Italian artist Carl Brentan. At the turn of the XIX - XX centuries, the Czech Sternberg again underwent a transformation, this time in the spirit of romanticism. The Viennese architect C. Kayser drafted and supervised the reconstruction of the premises. A castle park was also established during this period.
Interior
No matter how impressive the Gothic structure on the outside, it produces a greater effect with the interior. The castle houses a rich collection of paintings and prints, magnificent furniture, watches, silver and china, antique glass and Bohemian crystal, collected by several generations of Sternbergs. In the hunting room you can see an amazing selection of trophies and weapons. The dining room is a full dining table, which was prepared in anticipation of the guests. In the study you can see the family tree of the Sternberg family, where each representative of the genus is indicated by a miniature portrait.
Of considerable interest is the collection of smoking cabins of very unusual sizes. Gothic vaults are ornamented with baroque modeling and painting, floors are covered with handmade carpets, walls are hung with engravings and paintings not only in rooms, but also along passages and stairs. Almost every room has marble or tiled fireplaces, which in themselves are very interesting exhibits. The center of the huge building occupies, combining different parts of the castle, a patio with a glazed roof. Despite the impressive size of the construction and the variety of interiors, the inspection of the estate will not be particularly long, because excursions to the Czech Sternberg and Kutná Hora will be an excellent complement for each other.
Knight's Hall
This is the most spacious room in the castle, which was once reserved for a chapel. A military garrison was located here for a long time, during the occupation of the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). In the window openings, the thickness of the outer walls is visible, reaching at least one and a half meters. This is the only thing that recalls the defensive role of the castle and medieval architectural traditions.
Now the Knights' Hall is a richly decorated room with magnificent baroque molding and furniture, piece patterned parquet, Persian rugs and portraits of prominent members of the family. Two 18th-century bohemian crystal chandeliers, each weighing 300 kg, look impressive. Here, on the outer wall are the oldest examples of castle furniture - Venetian carved chests of the 16th century. The age of the rest of the furniture reaches an average of 200 years. Photos of the Czech Sternberg only remotely convey the space and grandeur of this hall, surprisingly with a very cozy atmosphere.
Other premises
Next to the Knight's Hall is a chapel named after St. Sebastian, whom the Sternbergs consider their patron. This room makes a very strong impression with its nadaltarnoy painting, and relics collected here, massive crucifixes, icon paintings and lancet gothic vault, luxuriously decorated with baroque molding.
No less surprising in the castle of Czech Sternberg seem ceiling design of the Golden Hall and Ladies' Salon. The latter contains furniture and furnishings from the Rococo period. In the room above the couch there is a mirror about which the parable went: a lady who looks at this mirror for a long time will be ten years younger, but at the same time she will stupid ten times. Thus, the female sex was given a choice.
The ladies' salon adjoins the library, which contains many rare printed and manuscript copies that are presented on shelves of shelves and behind glass windows. But this is far from all the rooms to be examined. Each of the 15 halls, all corridors, galleries or stairwells contain something interesting and surprising. Since the estate always belonged to only one family, it is somewhat different from similar expositions. Here a special atmosphere of comfort reigns, special attention to the interiors and loving attitude to each subject.