Okor Castle / Hrad Okor - Okor (Central Bohemia) - Preserved Architectural Remnants and Ruins on Waymarking.com

Okor, the ruins of an exceptionally valuable large Gothic castle, built in the 13th-15th centuries, is located in the western part of the village Okor, ca 15 km NW of the Prague center. It has been protected as a cultural monument since 1965.

The castle was built in a valley between fields on a small rock surrounded by the Zákolanský stream at an altitude of 275 m above sea level. Due to its location below the level of the surrounding hills, Okor is an exception in the Czech lands.

According to archaeological research, the castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century. The polygonal tower with a chapel fortified by a wall dates from that time. Due to the existence of a sophisticated chapel, it can be assumed that the founder was a monarch or a high-ranking representative of the church. The first written record dates back to 1359, when it was acquired by the wealthy patrician of the Old Town of Prague, František Rokycanský. Even before that, the castle was significantly rebuilt in Gothic style. The Rokycanský family stayed here for almost 50 years, then the castle came into the possession of other townspeople from Prague.

The castle, seized by the Hussites in 1421, was rebuilt in the 1st half of the 15th century. Okor became the property of the important Borita of Martinice noble family (which held also the nearby Smecno demesne) in the 16th century. The castle housed a side, Protestant Borita of Martinice line, in the 16th century. The castle was very severely damaged during the Thirty Years' War. The new owners, the Jesuits of Tuchomerice from the Jesuit College of St. Clement, to whom the castle was donated at the end of the war by the important politician Jaroslav Borita, Count of Martinice, then modified it partially in the Baroque style according to their needs and used it as their summer residence.

After the abolition of the Jesuit order by Pope Clement XIV. in 1773, the administrator of the castle had the roofs torn down and the material began to sell off. This started the transformation of the castle into a picturesque ruin. Around 1800, half of the massive large tower collapsed due to non-maintenance. The castle housed emergency housing for the poor in the 19th century, and later the castle became a destination for many tourists and painters. At the end of the 20th century, the castle became the property of the village of Okor, which now makes it accessible to visitors.

Source: excerpted and translated from Wikipedia and National Heritage Institute portal.