Becov nad Teplou Castle - Becov nad Teplou, Czech Republic - Picture Perfect Postcards on Waymarking.com

The castle and manor house Becov nad Teplou, one of the largest architectural complexes of this kind in the Czech Republic territory, is located in north-western Bohemia near the spa town of Karlovy Vary. The origins of the castle go back to the middle of the 14th century, when it was founded by the noblemen family of Osek (also known as Hrabišic and later renamed Lords of Rýzmburk). Lords of Osek owned the castle until the beginning of the 15th century. The defence tower (bergfried) measuring over ten metres in height and the manor with its dwelling quarters are from the earliest phase of the building. Subsequently a three storey tower was added, as a living space to start with, but later converted into the castle chapel. The spacious tower (donjon), which also provided accommodation, was built later on. The castle witnessed further building expansion after 1495, when Becov became the property of the Pluh of Rabštejn family and the original manor house (now known as Pluh Palace) was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. During the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648) the ownership of the castle passed to the Questenberk family. At that time the castle deteriorated to such a degree that it became necessary to demolish the oldest tower, which was close to collapse. After the end of the war a military bastion with a moat was constructed according to design by Jan Lacron, an army commander from the Thirty Year War era. In the middle of 18th century Dominik Ondrej Kounic inherited the castle from his uncle J. A. Qestenberk. During his time, in the years 1750 to 1753, the Baroque manor house with reception chambers and a polygonal tower, the Chapel of St Peter and a bridge with statues of John of Nepomuk and the Jesuit Jan de Gotto were all built in the lower part of the castle grounds. In 1813 the Kounic family sold the estate to the Belgian Duke of Beaufort. Further architectural interventions were carried out in the middle of the 19th century when the Pluh Palace was rebuilt in the Classicist style. In the years 1861 to 1865 the castle chapel underwent a Neo-gothic makeover under the direction of the architects Josef Zítek and Josef Mocker. After the end of World War Two the castle and the manor house were both confiscated by the state on the grounds of the Beaufort family’s collaboration with the Nazis. (President of the Republic Decree No.108/1945 Coll. of 25th October 1945 regarding confiscation of enemy property). The empty premises were used as a school and establishment of a museum was also being considered. Since the beginning of the 20th century no significant renovations were undertaken in the complex, which gradually fell into disrepair. Extensive reconstruction under the management of the Heritage Institute staff commenced in 1969 and lasted almost thirty years. Discovery of a Romanesque reliquary of St Moor under the floor of the castle Chapel of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in November 1985 represents an important event in the recent history of Castle Becov. Experts believe the reliquary to be an antique beyond quantifiable value, comparable to that of the crown jewels. The reliquary of St Moor had been under restoration for 11 years, the work completed in 2002.

Physical Address: Becov nad Teplou, Czech Republic Description of Postcard Location: Becov nad Teplou Castle and Chateau Related Web Site: Not listed Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/18/2022 MIJODA visited it