Lešany (Benešov District)

Lešany is a municipality and village in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Administrative parts
The villages of Břežany and Nová Ves are administrative parts of Lešany.

Geography
Lešany is located about 13 km northwest of Benešov and 20 km south of Prague. It lies in the Benešov Uplands. The highest point is the hill Chocholouš at 388 m above sea level. The Sázava River flows through the municipality.

History
The first written mention of Lešany is from 1185. The village often changed owners, who were various less important nobles. In 1683, the Metropolitan Chapter at Saint Vitus purchased Lešany and made it the centre of a small estate.

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

Sights
The main landmark of Lešany is the Lešany Castle. It was built in 1683 on the site of an old fortress from the 14th century. The castle was then modified in the mid-18th century, and partially rebuilt after a fire in 1903.

The municipality is known for of the Military Museum Lešany that is located in the former artillery barracks.

Notable people

 * František Hrubín (1910–1971), poet and writer; grew up here
 * Libuše Benešová (born 1948), politician and former mayor of Lešany; lives here