Zámek Pardubice / Chateau Pardubice (East Bohemia) - Renaissance Architecture on Waymarking.com

National historic monument Chateau Pardubice (Zámek Pardubice), former seat of Lords of Pernštejn, belongs among the most valuable examples of fusion of Gothic castle reshaped into representative Renaissance aristocratic residence in Central Europe.

The beginnings of Pardubice feudal residence on the site of the chateau go back to the end of the 13th century. Originally Gothic water castle underwent countless rebuildings and reconstructions. The most significant took place at the end of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th century under the rule of the Lords of Pernštejn. The original castle was transformed into a Renaissance residence with a new surrounding massive fortification with water moat. Thus, a unique combination of a castle and chateau was created. No building of this type has been preserved to this extent in Central Europe. In Chateau were preserved highly valuable remains of early Renaissance wall paintings, two soffit ceilings and many richly decorative architectural elements such as the entry portal. The Pernštejns sold the Chateau and manor to the King of Bohemia in 1560. The last significant reconstructions date back to the 1570s. The original furnishings of the interior were not preserved. The Chateau, completely reconstructed in 1994-2000, nowadays houses the Museum of East Bohemia in Pardubice and part of the complex is also used by the Gallery of East Bohemia. The Chateau is a pricipal landmark and touristic attraction of Pardubice.