Zámek Brandýs nad Labem / Chateau Brandýs nad Labem (Central Bohemia) - Official Local Tourism Attractions on Waymarking.com

Spacious Renaissance chateau, originally Gothic fort and later castle founded in the 14th century, is principal landmark and touristic attraction of town Brandýs nad Labem.

Imperial and Royal Chateau Brandýs nad Labem is one of the most important monuments of Renaissance architecture in Bohemia. The first written mention of Brandys, the Gothic fort on the promontory above the River Elbe built by Beneš of Michalovice (Beneš z Michalovic), is dated back to 1304. His descendant Jan, called the Good (Správný), is the first recorded owner of Brandys demesne in 1454. Jaroš Tovacovský of Cimburk transformed Brandys into a late-Gothic castle at the end of the 15th century and its subsequent owner, Jan of Šelmberk, extended the castle during the first years of the 16th century. After his death in 1508, was the entire demesne in possesion of his wife Johanna, born Krajírová of Krajek. Her rule over Brandýs gave to the town new rights, brought the unprecedented development and favor of the protestant church of Unity of Czech Brethren. Her nephew Arnošt Krajír lost Brandýs in 1547 as a punishment for participating in the Estate Urprising against Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I., so the castle became an Imperial and Royal property...

Conversion of Gothic castle to Renaissance chateau, managed by talian architect Matteo Borgorelli, started in ca 1540, when it was owned by Lords of Krajek. Matteo was leading architect of rebuilding also after owners change and a grandiose conversion to summer residence for the first Habsburg monarch on the Czech throne, Ferdinand I., continued till 1572. Chateau' current architectural appearance was acquired during the reign of Maxmilian II, but its greatest prosperity came with Emperor Rudolf II. Rudolf's court architects finished the extensive Renaissance rebuilding of the clock tower, exclusive sgraffito decorations and estabilished the castle garden. The Emperor used the chateau as his principal out-of-Prague seat and awarded Brandys by the title of Royal Chamber Town.

The subsequent devastation during the Thirty Years' War (1620-1648) destroyed buildings in the Rudolf's Gardens, by Swedes occupied castle was seriously damaged and the town was deserted. However, during the war years the Imperial stays in Brandýs did not stop, and then the castle was gradually repaired and partially rebuilt in Baroque style by leading architects of the Baroque Bohemia - Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer and František Maxmilián Kanka. The Baroque rebuilding is most evident in the chateau interiors and changed the character of the original Renaissance halls. The last significant historical rebuilding of the chateau in the spirit of romantic neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance style was done under the supervision of architect Bedrich Wachsmann. He was an artistic advisor to the Archduke Ludwig Salvatore of Tuscany, whose goal was to return to the chateau its original Gothic and Renaissance look. These works were finished in the end of the 19th century.

After the WWI, the chateau was confiscated and became a property of the new Republic. Brandýs chateau was then managed by the State administration of forests, which offices resided there till 1995. Nowadays is this valuable Renaissance monument owned by the town, it is gradually recontructed and opened to the public. The town uses its representative halls for weddings and concerts, and since 2004, an extensive historical exposition has been opened in the original Imperial rooms. You can find here Tuscan Library of the National Museum and the Military Historical Institute's exposition with a plethora of ancient weapons and uniforms.

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