Škvorec

Škvorec is a market town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,200 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The village of Třebohostice is an administrative part of Škvorec.

Etymology
The name was probably derived from the surname Škvor or Škvorec. The word škvor means 'earwig' in Czech, but the surname could be also derived from škorec, meaning 'starling' in old Czech.

Geography
Škvorec is located about 15 km east of Prague. It lies on the border between the Prague Plateau and Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill Na Plachtě at 391 m above sea level.

History
The first written mention of Škvorec is from 1279. In 1497, during the rule of Jan Škvorecký of Klinštejn, Škvorec was promoted to a market town by King Vladislaus II. The market town was acquired by Albrecht von Wallenstein in 1621, but he sold it to Karl I of Liechtenstein a year later. Karl I joined it to the Kostelec estate. Škvorec was owned by the House of Liechtenstein until the establishment of a sovereign municipality in 1848.

Transport
There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights
The main landmark of Škvorec is the Škvorec Castle, also known as Savoia Castle. Today it is privately owned and used as a hotel and restaurant.

The Church of Saint Anne is a valuable late Baroque building. It was built in 1759–1767 on the site of an older demolished church.