Benešov

Benešov (Beneschau) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 17,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the Konopiště Castle.

Administrative parts
The villages of Baba, Bedrč, Boušice, Buková Lhota, Červený Dvůr, Chvojen, Dlouhé Pole, Konopiště, Mariánovice, Okrouhlice, Pomněnice, Radíkovice, Úročnice and Vidlákova Lhota are administrative parts of Benešov.

Geography
Benešov is located about 32 km southeast of Prague. It lies in the Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill U Vlčí jámy at 493 m above sea level. The stream Benešovský potok flows through the town. In the western part of the municipal territory are situated the fishponds Konopišťský and Jarkovický.

History
The area of Benešov began to be settled in the 11th century. The first settlers are believed to have arrived on Karlov Hill in around 1050 during the Přemyslid dynasty. The first written verified mention of Benešov is from 1219–1222, however there are unverified mentions from 1048 and 1070.

Benešov was seat of Lords of Benešov until 1317, when they moved to nearby Konopiště Castle. In 1327, Benešov became a market town. In 1420, the town was conquered and burned by the Hussites. However, Benešov recovered and at the end of the 15th century, it belonged among the most important towns in Bohemia. It was the centre of several political negotiations, such as the 1451 and 1473 meetings of the Bohemian Diet. In the 15th and 16th centuries the town experienced an economic boom, especially thanks to its location on the trade route from Prague to Linz. In 1512, Benešov became a town.

After the end of the 16th century, there were several changes in ownership. During the Thirty Years' War, the population had suffered because of passing Polish and Swedish troops. To promote the reintroduction of Catholicism and improving the education, a Priory college with a high school was founded in 1703. After 1803, the town developed as a centre of national rebirth for Slavic Bohemians.

In 1871, the town was connected to Prague by rail and by 1895, it was an important regional hub.

By World War I Benešov was an important garrison town of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. There were the ''II. Bataillon des Böhmischen Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 102 (Second Battalion of the Bohemian Infantry Regiment No. 102) and the II. Bataillon des k.k. Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiments Nr. 28'' (Second Battalion of the Imperial Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 28). Because of fears of possible political unrest in 1916 by Czech nationalists, the 2nd Regiment of the Tiroler Kaiserjäger with a reserve unit part from Bolzano was stationed here to 1918.

Early during World War II, the town was evacuated temporarily as the SS-Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen of the Waffen SS was stationed here.

A significant measure of industrialization began after 1945 with the establishment of a machinery factory and the food industry.

Transport
The I/3 road (part of the European route E55), which connects the D1 motorway with Tábor and further continues as the D3 motorway, passes through the town.

The Benešov u Prahy railway station is located on the lines Prague–České Budějovice and Benešov–Vlašim.

Sights
The most significant monument is the Konopiště Castle. As of 2019, it was the 7th most visited castle in the country with 147,000 visitors. It was built in 1294 as a copy of French fortresses. Around 1500, it was modified to the late Gothic style, and in 1605 to the Renaissance style. After 1725, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style.

The Church of Saint Nicholas is the oldest preserved monument in Benešov. It was built in early Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century. After a fire in 1420, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1583, and later once again in the Baroque style. The church includes a Gothic bell from 1322, one of the oldest preserved bells in the Czech Republic.

Another important religious monument are the former Priory college with the Church of Saint Anne, which was built at the beginning of the 18th century according to plans submitted by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi.

The town centre with Masarykovo Square include Baroque and Art Nouveau houses and the architecturally awarded building of the new town hall.

Notable people

 * Josef Suk (1874–1935), composer and violinist; lived and died here
 * Karel Nový (1890–1980), writer
 * Princess Sophie of Hohenberg (1901–1990), Austrian princess
 * Prince Ernst of Hohenberg (1904–1954), Austrian prince
 * Miroslav Beránek (born 1957), football player and manager
 * Michal Hocek (born 1969), chemist
 * Monika Absolonová (born 1976), singer and actress
 * Jitka Bartoničková (born 1985), athlete
 * Aneta Langerová (born 1986), pop singer
 * Martin Macík (born 1989), rally raid truck driver

Twin towns – sister cities
Benešov is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇰 Partizánske, Slovakia
 * 🇫🇷 Sainte-Agnès, France